Paradox
by Anoveldebut
Summary: Set between the end of season 8 and beginning of season 9. A surprise visitor arrives at the SGC in an Ancient ship, claiming to have been sent by Daniel Jackson. General O'Neill is tasked with handling the newcomer, while SG-1 heads out for their last mission together as a team before Carter heads to Area 51, Teal'c to Dakara, and Daniel to Atlantis.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The Stargate and SG-1 belong to MGM, not me, although it's an absolute joy to work with these characters and settings.

A/N: This is my first fan fiction ever, and the first of any of my stories to be made public. Feedback is welcome. Please note, I've changed my rating from M to K+ because there isn't and there won't be anything graphic in this story, however, please be forewarned that some of the themes might be a little above a young teen's scope of experience.

* * *

The sun lay low on the horizon, cradled by the warm sands of Egypt. An orange glow enveloped the rolling dunes, casting long shadows over the ground and promising a coming respite to the day's heat. A low breeze stirred across the empty expanse, teasing the all-encompassing sands into small eddies here and there. Far from human habitation, two lone figures made the long, arduous trek over the vast no man's land towards a long-neglected device hidden among the sable dunes. The older of the two, a man now well into his fifties, pushed a small button, de-cloaking the ship. The young woman beside him gasped audibly, stopping in her tracks.

"This is it," said the man, turning to face his companion. "This ship will take you home. You'll have your parents again, and Teal'c, and me."

"Not really you," said the girl, a quaver to her voice. "Not really any of you."

The man smiled wanly. "There will be more similarities than differences, especially between myself and my counterpart."

"With no memory of what happened here. Of me."

"No." He looked down at his feet, as reluctant to say goodbye as the girl was to leave. "I'm sorry, Mia," he said, meeting her vivid blue eyes again, "but this is the way it has to be."

"I'm not going to fit in there, either," she said, truthfully.

"It won't be easy, but I've taught you as much as I can. You'll find a place for yourself, I'm sure. And the others will help. I'm sure of that, too."

"How? You changed the timeline, Daniel. You can't really be sure of anything."

"Your parents fixed it. They must have, otherwise we'd have met another SG-1 by now."

"You can't know that. They had me. Don't I change things?," she demanded desperately.

"Only if you stay here," replied Daniel with a hint of impatience. "Mia, this is the best chance I can give you at a normal life. You have to understand that."

"I do understand, Daniel. But I still don't like it."

Daniel Jackson smiled more genuinely this time, his eyes crinkling affectionately. "I'm really going to miss you too," he said, pulling the girl in for a rib-crushing hug. By the time they pulled away, both sets of eyes were moist.

"You remember everything I told you?," Daniel asked.

"Think five thousand years into the future, circa 2005 AD, CheyenneMountain."

"Right. The ship will read your thoughts and take you there."

"Assuming I have the gene you were telling me about."

Daniel smiled again. "I'd bet my life you do." Stepping back from her, he opened the door to the Ancient vessel, gesturing her inside. "Think power," he suggested once she had stepped over the threshold.

Mia did as told, closing her eyes to concentrate. The ship's interior lit up as it hummed to life all around her.

"I did that?," she whispered uncertainly.

"Yes," said Daniel, nodding for emphasis. "You can do this Mia. Everything will be fine, I promise."

"What about you?," she asked, still desperately stalling against the inevitable.

"I have to stay here," he said simply. "To go with you would mean creating another paradox. Or worse," he added.

"Worse?"

"We've encountered situations with alternate realities before, where the same person from two realities weren't able to exist in the same place at the same time for more than a very short time. The consequences were unpleasant, to say the least."

"But this isn't an alternate reality," the girl said stubbornly.

"I'm from a different timeline, Mia, one that doesn't really exist anymore. We interrupted it, and even though we restored it as best we could, I can't go back."

"Why not?"

"Because another Daniel is already there," he replied impatiently, though not without compassion. "I have to stay here, Mia. I want to go with you, I do, but I can't."

Tears rolled down Mia's face as she nodded numbly. She knew there would be no winning this debate. Daniel reached over and held her tight for a moment, silently trying to reassure her. "We'll both be all right," he said into her long, blond hair.

"How can you say that?," she sobbed, craning to look up at him. "In the few minutes it will take me to get to the future, you'll have died and been dead for five thousand years. I've already lost everyone else. I don't want to lose you, too."

"You won't," he said, adding his tears to her own. "I will always be there for you, no matter the timeline. Now go," he said, pulling away from her. "Before I break my promise to Sam and keep you here forever."

"Goodbye," she choked miserably, as Daniel pushed another button, sealing the small ship with her inside. She couldn't be sure that he had heard. Still sobbing, she walked unsteadily to the pilot's seat, tears rolling mercilessly down her face. Mia sat, fighting to compose herself least an errant thought redirect the ship. Staring blankly at the panel before her, she took several slow, deep breaths before closing her eyes to concentrate on following Daniel's instructions very carefully, focusing on nothing but the time and place he had described in such detail for her.

As the ship at last rose into the empty desert air, Daniel sighed heavily. "Love you," he whispered, staying long enough to watch the ship disappear into the dying light of day. At last satisfied that she was well and truly on her way, Daniel turned into the deeper part of the desert, willing fate to strike quickly and erasure to be complete. He, too, was ready to go home.


	2. Chapter 2

General O'Neill sat at his desk, mounds of paperwork stacked before him. If there was one thing he absolutely hated about his job, it was all the paperwork. Everything had to be recorded, reported, and reviewed. He had what must be hundreds of memos ranging in importance from burnt-out light bulbs to status updates on injured officers. And everything, absolutely everything, required his attention. He groaned, absently massaging his head as he did so. It was going to be a long day.

At last resigning himself to the tasks ahead, O'Neill had barely lifted the first report from his desk when his intercom crackled to life.

"Sir," came Walter's voice, "We have a situation on the surface that requires your immediate attention."

"I'll be right there," O'Neill replied hastily, shooting his desk one last, guilty look before bolting from the room to see what was going on.

* * *

Mia sat rigidly immobile in the ship's cockpit, staring out at the dozens of faces ringed around her. Just below each face was what Daniel had described as a gun. He had warned her of this, but even still, fear gripped her as she gazed through the view screen at her welcoming party. She felt he had grossly underestimated how entirely unnerving it would be to have so many weapons trained on her position all at once. She kept the door sealed tightly against intruders, although it was quite obvious that the soldiers could see her as well as she could see them, and could therefore shoot her at will. The way Daniel had described the destructive force of their weapons, she did not think the ship would protect her for long if the men surrounding her decided to open fire. She gulped, hoping the General would arrive soon. Daniel had been adamant that he could be trusted completely.

A few moments later, a small disturbance in the ring of men drew her attention from the still-raised weapons before her. The General had arrived. Her stomach dropped into her toes at the sight of him. Even after all these years, and the differences a paradoxical timeline might allow, the face now before her was unmistakably familiar.

* * *

Jack O'Neill stood curiously before the puddle jumper, gazing appraisingly at the rigid girl inside. She was obviously terrified, her face streaked and blotchy from tears. Looking at her, he sincerely believed she could have no hostile intentions towards the SGC. Motioning to the men around him to stand down, he walked around to the back of the jumper and knocked on the door.

"Sir?," asked the nearest man to his position. "Is that really wise?"

Glaring at the man, O'Neill said simply "There is an alien ship parked in our front yard. Wouldn't you like to know why?"

The door creaked and sighed its way open, revealing the girl hovering uncertainly near the centre of the ship.

"General O'Neill?," she asked, her tone seeking confirmation.

"You know my name?," he replied, clearly taken aback.

"Yes," she said. "Daniel sent me."

"Daniel?," O'Neill asked incredulously. "How? When?"

The girl smiled faintly. "It's a bit of a long story, General."

"Ah. Well, in that case," he said, ushering her from the ship, "why don't we take a trip down to the infirmary first. Standard procedure," he added quickly.

"Of course," she said, falling into step beside him. "Daniel said you'd want to be sure I'm not a Goa'uld spy."

"He told you a lot, our Daniel?"

"Everything he knew," she said simply, much to the confusion of General O'Neill.

"Get SG-1 into the infirmary ASAP," he ordered the soldier nearest to them, while still guiding her toward the mountain complex.

"Yes Sir!," the man replied, snapping to attention and heading quickly into the complex himself.

"And you," he called to the next man, "Make sure that jumper is properly secured."

"Yes Sir!," came the sharp reply.

_My goodness_, thought Mia, _I don't think Pharaoh himself could command action such as this._

"What's your name, by the way?," he asked curiously, peering sideways at her.

"Mia," she replied simply.

"Simple," he said, turning forward again. "I like it."


	3. Chapter 3

The SGC turned out to be one long, cold, grey tunnel after another. The way Daniel had described it, so full of action and life, Mia had expected more colour. And warmth. But despite the general bustle of everyone there, it seemed quite unlike anything she could have envisioned. She shivered involuntarily, fiercely missing the light and heat of her desert home.

SG-1 arrived at the infirmary mere moments after Mia and O'Neill. Mia sat quietly on a bed as directed while the examination began, listening intently as the General briefed his former teammates on their current situation.

"Hold on a minute," interrupted Daniel. "She says _I_ sent her?"

"Yes, Daniel. She greeted me by name and said that _you_ sent her."

"But that's impossible!" he countered quickly. "I've never seen this girl in my life."

On the bed, Mia cringed visibly.

"I'm sorry," said the nurse softly, setting yet another vial of blood to the side. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," said Mia numbly, staring at the small group huddled only a few feet away. It was amazing how familiar those faces could be, when she hadn't seen most of them in years, and those that she had seen being from a different timeline, no less. Daniel was much younger here than she could ever remember him being, and Sam and Teal'c carried themselves differently from what she could remember of them. Yet somehow, despite the unnerving differences she saw, they were all the same. Mia shivered again, already hating this dreary military complex with all her heart.

"I'm almost done," said the nurse reassuringly, checking her eyes, ears, and throat. Mia smiled wanly in response. SG-1 was now eyeing her rather disconcertingly, curiosity written over all their faces. As the nurse left, they approached, a volley of questions at the ready.

Mia listened patiently, waiting for them to stop before she spoke. At last an expectant silence fell over the group, and Mia took a deep breath, preparing herself for the complicated explanation ahead.

"First," she said, "I can't answer your questions the way you have asked them. You need to hear the full story, or nothing at all."

"O-kay," said O'Neill hesitantly.

"Secondly, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't interrupt. Daniel had me memorize a great deal of information, and I don't want to leave any of it out." They looked from one to the other, obviously biting back another full volley of questions as O'Neill said "Okay. Shoot."

"Have you recently acquired a tape and a ZPM from a dig in Egypt?," she asked, needing to establish her timeline. The group nodded, surprise and curiosity radiating from them. "Okay," she said, also nodding. "So you already know that an alternate timeline SG-1 travelled to ancient Egypt to retrieve the ZPM, only to end up stranded?". Again, the four people before her nodded silently.

Gathering her thoughts, Mia continued. "What you probably don't know about that mission was that it failed entirely. Not only was SG-1 stranded in ancient Egypt unable to return the ZPM to their own time, but they also made a key mistake that altered their timeline altogether." Four startled faces peered uncertainly from her to one another. Sam began to speak, but Mia interrupted.

"It was the original team who made the tape that you found, as a means to confirm that no damage had been done to the timeline. "However," she continued, "there had been damage, and a second SG-1 team appeared in ancient Egypt a few years after the first to repair the damage their counterparts had done. Daniel was the only member remaining from the original team, and the only member missing from the new team." SG-1 stared at her, rapt with incredulous interest. "In the new timeline that had been created by the first team's mistake, SG-1 as you know it didn't exist. Daniel taught English as a second language, Sam proofread scientific papers, Jack had never come out of retirement, and Teal'c had never left the service of Apophis. None of them had known of the SGC until the tape was found, and they were summoned to this complex for questioning."

Mia paused again to order her thoughts, while the group in front of her shifted impatiently. "The new Sam, Jack and Daniel used the puddle jumper to travel to Chulak in search of Teal'c. Their orders were to return directly to the SGC with him in tow, where the situation would continue to be discussed at length. Needless to say, they disobeyed. Daniel was killed in a fire fight getting Teal'c back to the ship, but the others made it, and made it back to Earth and ancient Egypt to help repair the timeline. My Daniel, from the original team, believes their plan worked, since a third SG-1 team never appeared to tell us otherwise. That being said, the second SG-1 team did ultimately create a paradox that couldn't be solved by simply laying low in ancient Egypt forever."

Sam opened her mouth to speak again, but again, Mia interrupted.

"Strictly speaking, I think Daniel was wrong on this point, but he left no room for debate. You see," she said, looking at each of the painfully familiar faces in turn, "I'm the daughter of the second Sam and Jack to travel back in time." Beside her, General O'Neill choked, while Sam stared at her, dumbfounded. "Daniel believed that the only way I could live a reasonably normal life without once again affecting the timeline would be to come here, to this time, where my parents originated. He didn't seem to think it would matter much that this was not the same timeline my parents came from, only that this is where they belonged."

Four incredulous faces stared back at her, obviously unable to formulate words. Mia sighed, feeling suddenly quite drained. "Daniel also said that you would have tests to prove my story. Don't worry, I don't mind. I have a hard enough time believing it myself, and I've known about it for years."

"Her tests have all come back clean, Sir," said a nurse brusquely, interrupting to hand O'Neill the results.

"That's good," he replied. "But we have another test for you to run."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: To "dcmom", thanks for your review! I've tweaked Chapter 1 according to your suggestion that there may have been unintended meaning in one section of dialogue. Hopefully it works... Enjoy!

* * *

"Carter!," barked O'Neill, leaving the infirmary with his former teammates. "With me."

Turning in the direction of his office, O'Neill marched them double-time back to the small, cluttered room, giving no indication of saying anything further until they had arrived. Closing the door quickly behind them, O'Neill rounded on the scientist angrily demanding, "Is any of what that girl just said possible?".

"Theoretically, Sir, yes," she replied carefully.

"Yes?!," he shouted incredulously, glaring at her.

"Yes, Sir."

"Carter, I'm not sure I want to hear that!," he said, a note of hysterical defiance in his voice.

"Like it or not, Sir, it is possible. If what she says is true, we, or more precisely, the original SG-1, inadvertently created a paradoxical timeline in ancient Egypt. Repairing it at the point of damage would have erased all trace of it from history, but it is possible that the SG-1 responsible for the repairs managed to survive erasure by taking themselves out of the damaged portion of the timeline."

"Carter!," O'Neill snapped, his mouth now a hard line. "Are you seriously saying that we could be the copies of copies, with a daughter from a wild and passionate night we've never had!?"

"Yes Sir," she said, eyes wide with concern.

"And pray tell, what would that mean for this timeline?," he snapped.

"Well, Sir, I think the original Daniel was right. Sending the girl here was the only way to preserve the integrity of the repaired timeline. Since you and I are here, it's less of a paradox for her to be here as well." Sam grimaced at her own explanation. "Truth be told, Sir, I don't know what her presence here will mean for our timeline. But I do know that her presence in ancient Egypt would have been much, much more detrimental."

"Couldn't we send her through that mirror device to the reality her parents came from, just to be sure?"

"No, Sir," she replied quickly. "The quantum mirror is for alternate realities, not paradoxical timelines."

"I'm really not seeing the difference, Carter," O'Neill replied tersely.

"Sir, the girl is from this reality. We changed the timeline, but there was no intermingling between alternate realities. There is nowhere else she could go."

"Well, then, do we go back in time to stop this from happening?," he demanded.

"No Sir," she replied.

"No Sir? Carter, I don't remember your answers ever making so little sense before. Ever!," he added for emphasis. "Surely we have to do _something_!"

Carter sighed, preparing to launch into further explanation. "Sir, if we were to travel back in time again, we'd be in danger of creating more paradoxical rifts. Now, according to the tape, what's done is done and little harm seems to have come from it. We're best off not tampering any further with the timeline as it stands now."

"Carter!"

"Sir, there's nothing we can do to change this."

The pair stood silent a moment, O'Neill glowering darkly at his infuriatingly brainy subordinate.

"Sir, if her story checks out, I'm sure the Air Force could set her up someplace where we'd never have to see her again. It's not like we did anything wrong. She's an anomalous blip from an erased timeline."

"Not _if_, Carter, _when_. _When_ her story checks out. She has your eyes, for crying out loud, and my mouth."

"Yes Sir," she replied quietly, wincing at his assessment.

"You're dismissed," he said, trying his best not to sound overly peevish and failing miserably. As he watched Carter slip silently out the door, he wondered idly what it would have been like to live stranded in ancient Egypt with the beautiful scientist by his side. Deciding that was a train of thought best left unexplored, he turned abruptly to his intercom, barking "Walter, I'm stepping out for some air. Carter's in command until I get back."

"Understood, Sir," crackled Walter's reply, but O'Neill was already out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Mia's assigned room was, surprise, surprise, small and grey. The walls were grey, the blankets were grey. It was unbearable. She closed her eyes, breathing deep, visualizing the warm sands of Egypt, and the bright little hut where she had lived. Everything had been in warm shades of brown, bright, friendly, soothing. She could almost taste the fresh bread from the village, could almost hear the laughing voices of her friends.

A gentle knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. "Come in," she called uncertainly.

"Hi," said Daniel, stopping just inside the door. "I just came to see how you were settling in."

Mia shot a dispassionate look around the room, grimacing. "It's not much like home," she replied.

Daniel smiled. "No, I'd say not."

"I hate the grey," she confessed. "And the cold."

"I know how you feel," he said. "I was the same way, after coming back from Abydos. Do you know about that?," he asked.

Mia nodded.

"I'll see if I can rustle up some colour for your room, and a few spare blankets," Daniel said.

Mia smiled tentatively. "That would be nice," she replied, shivering again. The nurse who had taken the final vial of blood had also found Mia a long-sleeved shirt and pants to put on in place of her robes, but she found that they weren't as warm as they looked. They also weren't as comfortable as her own clothes, but she had had to leave those in the infirmary 'in case they contained contagions' the nurse had said.

"If you don't mind my asking," said Daniel, coming to sit beside her, "why was I the one to send you? What about your parents?"

Mia swallowed, staring resolutely down at her feet. At last she looked up, meeting his kind gaze. "You were the one who raised me, after my parents died," she replied, a slight quaver to her voice.

"I'm sorry," he replied, sincerely. "I was orphaned too," he added quietly.

"I know," said Mia, glancing down at her feet again.

"Then you should also know that I'm here, if you want to talk."

Mia nodded, silent tears falling onto the floor. She hadn't entirely believed Daniel when he'd told her he'd be there for her, no matter what. Now she felt the truth of his words to her very core. Leaning into his shoulder, she let herself silently grieve her own Daniel before settling in to tell this new man her story. For his part, Daniel looped a supportive arm gently around her waist, letting her weep in peace a while.


	6. Chapter 6

Mia woke with a start in the cool, grey room. She couldn't remember falling asleep, though it must have been some time ago, as the base seemed eerily quiet through her closed door. Rising from her bed, she padded silently across the dark room and cracked open the door to take a look. The guard posted outside her room was startled back into alertness by the sudden motion, straightening stiffly against the wall. She closed the door again, fumbling for the light switch. Blinking dazzled spots from her eyes, she was surprised to see a few new additions to the room. A cheerfully decorated vase sat on the dresser, overflowing with brightly coloured flowers, and a bright patchwork quilt had been thrown over the military blankets on her bed. On the wall, replacing the perfectly non-descript image that had hung there before, was a beautiful painting of desert sands rolling far into the distance. Mia smiled at that, already feeling a little warmer than she had just a moment before. On the desk just below the painting was a box with a note: _Hope this helps_, it read simply. Mia opened the box carefully, pulling out a bulky sweater the colour of sand. Pulling it quickly over her head, she felt immeasurably better than she had before.

Summoning her courage, Mia opened her bedroom door again, this time addressing the soldier standing guard.

"Is it all right if I come out?," she asked tentatively.

The guard nodded, saying "You're not a prisoner, though my orders are to accompany you wherever you go."

Mia nodded. "I can live with that," she said, slipping out into the brightly lit hallway and closing the door behind her.

They walked in silence a while before the guard asked, "Is there somewhere specific you'd like to go?"

"Not really," she replied. "I just don't feel like sleeping anymore." The guard nodded, resuming his silent stride alongside her. "What time is it, anyway?," she asked.

"It's about 3am," he replied quickly. Then, at her look of confusion, "A couple of hours before dawn."

"Oh," she replied. It had been early morning when she'd arrived. The tests and explanations had taken a fair while, and Daniel had stopped by shortly after lunch. She couldn't remember him leaving. She did, however, remember telling him her life story, and some of his comparisons between the people she remembered, and those she was meeting now. She must have drifted off sometime in the late afternoon. It was no wonder she didn't feel tired anymore. She must have slept half a day. She sighed. "Is there anything to do around here at this hour?," she asked.

"Not really," replied the soldier. Mia eyed him speculatively, taking in his lean, muscled frame, his gait, and his suddenly weary brown eyes.

"How about sparring?," she asked innocently, grinning slightly.

* * *

An hour later Mia and her guard, Tom, were both drenched in sweat, squaring off for another round. The cushioned floor had thrown her off the first round, but she had made a nice come-back against her opponent. They locked eyes, circling, daring the other to make the first move. Tom's left arm shot out, swinging his staff in a wide arc. Mia caught the blow firmly against her own staff, twirling away and knocking Tom off balance. The weapon was lighter than that which she was accustomed to using, but she was quickly adapting. Tom struck again, and again, she knocked him aside.

"I think this will have to be my last round," he panted, straightening up.

"You could forfeit this one if you'd like," she teased, eyes blazing mischievously.

"I don't think so," he grunted, coming round for another attack. Mia blocked his advances, pushing him back along the mats. "You should try to hold your ground," she said critically.

"I am trying," he gritted, taking another step back against her counter-attack. "Who taught you to fight, anyway?"

"Teal'c," she said simply, catching him in the knee with her staff.

"Teal'c?," he asked incredulously. "You mean to tell me you've had Jaffa training?"

"Since the age of five," she replied.

"_Five_?," he gasped, his voice laced with disbelief.

She shrugged, blocking another advance and pushing him back two steps further. His back was nearly to the wall.

"What sort of training have you had?," she asked casually.

"Nothing that's going to compare to more than a decade of Jaffa training in hand-to-hand combat," he replied with a groan.

"It was actually only about seven years' worth," she said, cracking her staff against his right shoulder. Tom dropped his staff, backing the final few steps into the wall.

"I surrender," he gasped. "Teal'c normally comes in to practice at seven. Why don't we go grab a bite to eat, and I'll bring you back to plague him."

"That'll be fine," she answered, lowering the wooden rod and leaning against it.


	7. Chapter 7

"Daniel."

"Yes?," said the scholar, looking up from his book.

"You have an office, do you not?"

"Yes, Jack," he responded evenly, shutting the tome with a dull thud.

"Then why are you sitting in front of mine?," he snapped.

"I spent some time with Mia yesterday," he replied, brushing dust from his uniform as he rose. "I thought you might be interested in learning some of what she told me."

Jack O'Neill glared at his friend silently a moment, then pushed past him into his office.

"Jack?"

"Not interested, Daniel," he replied tersely, pointedly ignoring the other man as he entered the office and closed the door with a soft click. Sitting behind his desk, Jack lifted the first memo he saw and began to read.

"You're seriously going to sit there and ignore me?," asked Daniel, a mild note of incredulous scepticism in his voice.

"I have work to do, Daniel," he replied annoyed, motioning to the stacks of paper obscuring his desk.

"Jack, you're in denial," Daniel stated flatly.

"Denial? Daniel, whoever that girl may be, I can _not_ accept her as my daughter!"

"And why is that, Jack?"

"Because no matter how you look at it, this whole situation is impossible!," he snapped. Daniel raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth as if to speak, but Jack interrupted. "Daniel, that girl is at least eighteen. Eighteen years ago I was happily married to Sarah and expecting the birth of our son, Charlie. There was no Carter. And, military regulations being what they are, there never will be. Not for me. So forgive me if I'm not giddy at the prospect of getting to know this supposed daughter," he snapped.

"Jack," said Daniel with years of practiced calm. "She said it herself: she is a paradox. Her existence is never going to make sense. But that doesn't mean you should live your life as if she never existed at all."

"Daniel," Jack growled warningly.

"Jack, her parents died when she was three. She doesn't know you and Sam any better than you know her. Give her a chance."

"Daniel, if you think this is some sort of second chance opportunity for a big happy family, you're wrong," Jack barked. "The Air Force will set her up someplace new, and I will go on as if none of this ever happened. Which it didn't," he stated sharply.

"It has happened Jack," said the scholar.

"Not for me, it hasn't," he replied, returning his attention to the memo now crumpled between his fingers. When Daniel still hadn't moved, he glanced up saying "You're dismissed, Daniel."

Rolling his eyes, Daniel turned from Jack and left the room, silently closing the door behind him. He'd come around, sooner or later. It was just going to take some time.


	8. Chapter 8

The night shift had ended, and Mia had been transferred from Tom's companionable watch to that of lieutenant Foxworth. As far as she could tell, the lieutenant had very little personality beyond his military training, and absolutely no sense of humour. He watched her like a hawk, clearly not trusting her. Even still, he had returned her to the training room to meet with Teal'c, just as Tom had promised, so Mia had to grudgingly admit that he would be tolerable, at least for one day.

Entering the training room, Teal'c was already practicing the ancient forms for what she had come to secretly call the warrior's dance. She watched appreciatively as his heavily muscled form moved smoothly across the floor, gliding to the silent rhythm of attack and counter-attack. He was a study of opposites, his motions both beautiful and dangerous, serene and warlike. Mia shivered, glad she had never had to fight the seasoned warrior for real.

Sensing their presence in the room, Teal'c stopped, turning instead to greet them.

"Master Teal'c," greeted Mia with a gentle bob of her head. Instantly, the warrior's right eyebrow shot up, and he tilted his head curiously to the side.

"Mia O'Neill," he greeted in return, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth. In his corner of the room, Foxworth choked audibly. Mia grinned inwardly, hoping this new information would make her dayshift companion a little more pleasant. "Can I be of assistance?," asked Teal'c, an elusive smile still teasing at his lips.

Losing track of the question, Mia studied his features carefully a moment, transfixed by that hint of a smile. Never, in all the years she had known the other Teal'c, had she seen the old warrior wear any expression other than that of perfect seriousness. And a smile? Not even close. The image this Teal'c presented was fascinating. In conversation, at least, he seemed actually able to drop his impassive mask and let a hint of emotion shine through. Mia was entranced. She had always assumed Jaffa were drilled into a some sort of emotionless vacuum before being allowed onto the battlefield. She had never once considered the possibility that under the warrior's facade lay a feeling heart much like her own.

"Are you ill?," inquired the Jaffa, growing mildly concerned by her silent stare.

"Wh-, no," she said, snapping back to attention, a faint blush of embarrassment rising in her cheeks. "No, I'm not ill, Master Teal'c," she replied more completely, her face burning red now. He cocked an eyebrow again, studying her. "I'm sorry," she said, wishing fervently that she could hide her emotion as well as her mentor had. "It's just that I've never seen you smile," she added, even more embarrassed than before.

"Indeed," he replied kindly, that odd little smile quirking at his mouth again.

Mia blushed again. "Actually," she began, "I was hoping you could continue my training. I haven't had a proper teacher since my Teal'c died." She paused uncertainly.

Teal'c's half smile widened slightly, and he bobbed his head in acknowledgement. "Show me what you are able to recall," he commanded kindly, "and we will begin."


	9. Chapter 9

The test results had come back with incontrovertible proof that Jack and Sam, somewhere, somehow, had managed to have a daughter. Not that he was really all that surprised, having already seen the girl and her familiarly large blue eyes. Nevertheless, his jaw clenched tightly as he reviewed the results, glaring menacingly at the page as if he could somehow ignite it with his mind. Science, on the best of days, gave Jack a bit of a headache. Today, with an impossibly conceived daughter on his base, the headache was quickly threatening to explode into a full-blown migraine. Nothing in all his long years of military training and service could have prepared him for this. Anything would be simpler than handling this. Taking out a squadron of Jaffa? Easy. Defeating an all-powerful Goual'd system lord? Piece of Cake. Facing his own child from an erased alternate timeline? Inconceivable.

As far as General Jack O'Neill was concerned, the girl simply had no place in this timeline. She shouldn't exist. It wasn't even that he wished her any ill. He didn't. She seemed like a perfectly lovely girl. But he hadn't spent the past eight years dancing around his feelings for Carter to wind up with a child neither one of them could remember conceiving. It was just plain _wrong_.

And really, what were they supposed to do now? In all fairness, they couldn't just ship the girl out into the world to let her find her own way. She had been raised in ancient Egypt, for crying out loud. She'd need a proper education in all things modern. He wasn't even sure if she could read. The Air Force was powerful, but he wasn't sure even they would be able to provide everything the girl was likely to need. She needed parents with proper clearance to help guide her through this new world, in much the way Janet Frasier had done for Cassandra. Only this girl was technically too old to be put up for adoption. Jack cursed silently. He did _not_ want to be responsible for this teenaged girl. Even just _thinking_ about her made his head hurt. He couldn't even begin to imagine how uncomfortable it would be trying to actually _live_ with the girl.

He groaned, massaging his temples. The least he could do would be to let her stay on base for a while, to better assess her actual needs. With any luck, her Daniel had taught her some of the basics of this world, and her stay at Stargate Command would be short and sweet.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you, "truecadence" for your comments on the rating for this story; I had marked it as "M" simply because I'm writing it with an adult audience in mind. However, after reading your comments I decided the rating was probably overly cautious; I have nothing graphically violent or explicit in mind for "Paradox". Also, thank you to the other readers who have provided such positive feedback! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!

* * *

Mia strolled out of the training room feeling happier than she had in a long while. Teal'c had accepted her as if he had always known her, and they had fallen easily into the familiar moves of the warrior's dance. It had been a very long time since she had been able to practice with a true master of the art. The Teal'c of her childhood had died when she was twelve, forced to remove and kill his mature symbiote before it could be allowed to take a host. With Ra and his Jaffa long gone, and the gate buried beneath the desert sands, her mentor had lived only two days longer than the parasitical snake, dying a slow and agonizing death unfit for his warrior's soul. Teal'c had told her the day he removed his Goaul'd that it was better to die free than remain forever enslaved to the parasitical being, but she had never found much solace in this reasoning. He may not have been as openly friendly as this new Teal'c, but he had been a magnificent teacher, and she had felt his loss very keenly.

After Teal'c's death, she had only had her fellow pupils to train with, mostly older boys from the local village. And none of them had stayed long either. Most, in fact, had entered Pharaoh's army, and risen quickly through the ranks with their superior skills. By the time she had left Egypt, there had been only one young man left to practice with, a farmer by trade. Mia had secretly hoped to marry him some day, following the other village girls her age in becoming a wife and mother. She had known a long time that Daniel had other plans for her, and that she would not be allowed to share in the joy her friends so openly displayed. But even still, she had hoped.

Mia sighed resignedly. At least she had her renewed training sessions with this Teal'c to look forward to, and that was no small consolation. Smiling slightly, Mia led Foxworth on a meandering tour of the SGC, allowing her mind to wander as freely as her feet. There really wasn't much to see, she noted with an increasing sense of disappointment. Surely there must be more to this place than endless grey corridors? Rounding another corner, Mia was nearly ploughed over by a very hurried Daniel.

"Mia," he said, surprised. "I was just on my way to see Sam. Care to join me?"

"Sure," she replied quickly, glad for something to do. "I've been wondering how to pass the time around here," she added.

Daniel looked thoughtful a moment. "I could lend you a few books, if you'd like," he replied at last. "Though I should probably talk to Jack about finding you a proper tutor," he added as an afterthought.

"Whatever for?," replied Mia, startled. "I'm fluent in nearly as many languages as you are," she added with a shrug, "and I know more than enough math and science to get by."

Daniel smiled. "Even still, I know the limits of my own knowledge. You deserve the opportunity to decide what really interests _you_, not just what I was able to teach you best."

Mia grimaced. "Honestly, Daniel," she replied with a frown, "I really don't think my brain can handle any more information than you've already packed in there."

Daniel looked at her ruefully a moment. "That bad?," he asked at last. Mia rolled her eyes.

"Endless hours of memorization every day, for as long as I can remember. You knew what was coming; you wanted me to be prepared."

Daniel eyed her carefully. "That doesn't really sound like much fun," he said softly, wincing slightly.

Mia shrugged. "It wasn't so bad, really. It's just not something I want to go back to doing every day. Not yet, at least." This time it was her turn to smile ruefully at him.

Rounding another corner, Mia had a sudden thought. "Daniel, will Sam even _want_ to see me?," she asked nervously.

Startled, he asked, "Why wouldn't she?"

"Oh, I don't know," she said with a sarcastic little laugh, "Maybe because I'm one giant, brightly lit reminder of everything she doesn't have in this timeline?"

Daniel sighed. "Mia, I don't think anyone is going to hold your existence against you." Mia raised her eyebrows archly.

"What about Jack?," she asked pointedly. "He looked like the blackest of thunder clouds by the time he left the infirmary yesterday, though he seemed to like me just fine before finding out that I'm his daughter, so to speak."

Daniel sighed again, gently pushing his glassed up the bridge of his nose. "Jack will take some time to adjust," he replied evenly. "But Sam has never been as hot-headed as Jack. You'll be fine, I promise," he said, pushing her gently ahead of himself into Sam's lab.

Sam looked up from what she was doing with a start. Eyeing Mia cautiously first, she turned to the archaeologist next. "Daniel," she said simply, a note of weary warning clear in her voice.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said quickly, "but I found that reference you were looking for, and I thought I'd bring it down to you."

"Thank you," she said hesitantly, accepting the papers from her teammate.

"I was also wondering if you'd care to join us for lunch," he added, nodding slightly in Mia's direction. Sam's expression of surprise mirrored Mia's own.

"Daniel, it's only ten o'clock in the morning," she replied at last.

"I know," he said quickly. "But when you're ready...," he trailed meaningfully. She sighed.

"I suppose I could...," she began, before she was interrupted with a testy, "Carter!," as her commanding officer barged unceremoniously into the room, nearly knocking Daniel over in the process.

"Sir?," asked Sam curiously, eyeing the wild-eyed General. "Is everything all right?"

"Is everything all right?!," he shouted incredulously, tossing a piece of paper onto her instruments. "You tell me."

Glancing quickly at the paper, Sam's face registered unrepressed shock at what she saw.

"What is it?," asked Daniel curiously, having steadied himself and moved safely away from the General's rampaging path since the latter's arrival.

"What is it?," bellowed the General, turning to glare at his friend. "Tell him, Carter."

"Transfer papers," she replied meekly, still shocked.

"For whom?," replied Daniel, raising an eyebrow.

"For me," she replied numbly. "They want me to head up the Stargate Research program at Area 51."

Both Daniel's eyebrows shot up this time. "Sam, that's gr-," he started to say, before O'Neill cut in again shouting "Not going to happen!"

"Sir?," Sam asked, looking intently at her commanding officer.

"Over my dead body am I going to let them steal my best scientist!," he growled, eyes fierce with determination.

Sam and Daniel both gave him pointed looks, before Daniel at last asked, "Jack, don't you think you're overreacting a bit?"

"No, Daniel, I don't," he snapped. "How many times over now would the world be overrun by Goaul'd or Replicators if it weren't for her quick thinking?," he snarled, nodding towards Sam. "We can't go on without her."

"With all due respect, Sir, I'll only be in Neveda," Sam replied gently.

"And what if another black hole tries pulling us in through the Stargate, Carter? What then?"

"Sir, that possibility is extremely remote," she began.

"That's not the point," he growled. "We need you _here_, Carter."

Mia eyed the tensely poised trio silently, wondering if life at the SGC was always this dramatic. General O'Neill and Colonel Carter were locked in a silent stand-off that bristled with intensity, while Daniel had taken a step forward, clearly preparing to intervene should Jack's final shred of self-control decide to unravel. Nobody moved. Mia wished desperately that she could escape the intensity of the moment, but feared her quiet shuffle to the door would remind the others of her presence and set Jack off again. He really was quite formidable when angry, she mused to herself. She certainly wouldn't want to cross his path on a day like today.

As the silence dragged from one interminable moment into the next, Mia had another thought. Speaking before she could remind herself that silence was still the safer bet, she heard her tentative voice splice the air, saying "Doesn't this mean that you two could finally be together?". Jack blew a gasket.


	11. Chapter 11

The moment the General had started to yell again, Daniel had quickly grabbed Mia and shoved her out of the lab, following close behind and shutting the door against the swelling storm inside. Foxworth was waiting for them in the hall, stoically pretending he hadn't heard a thing. Grateful for that, Daniel marched them both away from the lab as quickly as possible, praying that no one else in the vicinity would be able to hear the General's heartfelt tirade through the thick walls and closed door. Daniel winced as he thought of his friend's obvious dilemma. Letting Sam go would be a terrible blow to the SGC, but on the other hand, Mia had been right. On some level, this was precisely what they had both wanted for a very long time.

"I'm really sorry, Daniel," whispered Mia guiltily. "I honestly didn't even think before I spoke. It just sort of slipped out."

"That's ok," said Daniel reassuringly. "They needed to get this out in the open eventually. Now is as good a time as any." Mia looked at him doubtfully. "Ok, well, maybe the timing wasn't perfect," he admitted, "but it is something they should both consider before Jack bursts into the Pentagon demanding a retraction of Sam's new orders."

"Can he actually do that?," asked Mia, somewhat awed. "I was under the impression that military orders were fairly final."

"I doubt he'd succeed, but I certainly wouldn't put it past him to try," Daniel responded candidly. "I've been trying for months to convince him to let me join the Atlantis expedition, and his response has been nearly the same as what you just witnessed every time. I honestly think he just doesn't like change, especially when it involves letting go of the people he's grown to care about."

Mia thought about that a while, silently agreeing with Daniel's assessment. The Jack O'Neill she had known had been forced by circumstance to let go of nearly everyone he had ever loved. He had lost his son Charlie some nine years before she was born in a terrible accident, pushing his wife at the time away with his self-recrimination and grief. Then he'd been given a second chance in Egypt with her mother, and Mia could still remember the overwhelming love they had shared with each other and herself. But there, again, fate had struck cruelly against him, taking her mother and unborn brother from them in a breached labour. Her father had never recovered from that second loss, taking his own life days later. Mia had hated him a long time after that, unable to understand how he, too, could have abandoned her so easily. Daniel had tried his best to reassure her that he had never meant to leave her, that his grief over losing Sam had blinded him to what he still had, but she had never been able to appreciate before now the full depth of his need to have someone strong, patient and level-headed by his side. A child could never have filled that role, and she knew that her father had never bonded with Daniel and Teal'c the way this Jack O'Neill had. She could see now, in this strange recreation of her father, that under that mask of self-assurance and military authority, he was as desperately afraid to be alone as she had been at the age of three, with both her parents suddenly gone and no one to go to save the two strange "uncles" she had barely known. And yet, there she was, once again watching this broken man being stripped of the people he loved, bound by duty never to even so much as let them know the full extent of what it meant for him to have them in his life.

Mia shuddered. She did not envy General Jack O'Neill in the least. Even if he accepted this change as the opportunity she had presented it to be, she knew he'd still be faced with difficulties. The only way the Sam and Jack of this timeline could act on their mutual affection would be to stay out of the same chain of command...which at the moment meant putting the better part of two states between them.


	12. Chapter 12

The yelling had stopped. Jack O'Neill stood in Sam's lab, completely spent. He couldn't remember a time when he had been this angry about something completely out of his control. Something work-related, at any rate. He was a soldier first. Orders were meant to be followed, and he had never had to like them to do his duty. But losing Sam? It was inconceivable.

"She was right, you know," Sam said gently into the silence. Her CO glared back at her.

"So you're saying I should just forget what's best for the SGC and let you go so I can have you for myself?," he growled incredulously. Sam shook her head patiently, trying to repress the smile threatening to spread unashamedly across her face.

"No Sir," she replied, the hint of her repressed smile lingering dangerously in her voice. "I'm saying I have my orders, as do you, and for once, they don't conflict with anything else we might want."

"This program _needs_ you, Sam," he said with conviction.

"And it will still _have_ me," Sam replied pointedly. "The orders state that I'm to report to Area 51 as the Head of _Stargate _Research," she reminded him, placing special emphasis on the Stargate portion of her new title. "I'll still be watching your six, Sir," she added with a daring flash of that irrepressible smile. "I'll just be doing it from this side of the gate, for a change."

O'Neill considered that a moment. "But from Nevada?," he asked.

Sam rolled her eyes. "Nevada isn't exactly the other side of the galaxy, Sir. It isn't even the other side of the country. If you really miss me that badly, I'll only be a few hours' drive away."

He eyed her doubtfully. "I'd still feel safer if you were just down the hall," he replied at last, a hint of his usual humour shining through. Sam grinned back.

"You could always requisition the transfer of Area 51 into CheyenneMountain," she observed wryly.

"Carter, are you mocking me?," he asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Never, Sir," she replied unconvincingly. O'Neill shifted uncomfortably. He had the distinct impression that Colonel Samantha Carter was laughing at him under those beautiful blue eyes of hers. More disconcertingly still, he found that he rather liked it. At least she wasn't looking at him as if he had completely lost his mind for his earlier flash of temper. The laughter was much more reassuring than the open hostility he usually received from Daniel when arguing about transfers.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?," he asked at last, frowning slightly.

"Well, Sir, it was bound to happen eventually," she replied with a little shrug.

"What, me flying off the handle?"

"No," she replied, grinning. "SG-1 breaking apart. We've had eight years together, Sir. That's almost unheard of for a military assignment, and you know it."

"And you're ok with this?"

Sam frowned at the question. Finally she said, "It won't be easy leaving you, Teal'c and Daniel behind, after everything we've been through together. But honestly, Sir, I can't say I'm entirely unhappy about the change either." O'Neill's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Don't get me wrong," she added quickly, "I love my job at the SGC, and I wouldn't trade these past eight years for anything. But Sir, part of the reason I couldn't make things work out with Pete in the end was this job." Again, surprise registered on O'Neill's face, and Sam pressed on. "He bought us a house, Sir, with a fenced yard and everything. And he kept talking about all the dogs and kids we'd have running around someday, and that's when I realized that it could never happen. This job, Sir, what we do everyday...you can't have a normal family life while out saving the planet all the time. It would just be too much."

O'Neill stared at her, dumbfounded. "So, you are glad to be leaving?," he prodded cautiously, not sure he really wanted to hear the confirmation.

"In a way, Sir, yes."

"Oh," he replied dully, rocking back on his heals. "Well, in that case, I guess I should sign off on your transfer and let you get packing."

"Sir," she said quickly, stopping him dead in his tracks as he reached for the handle of her lab door. "I'm not running back to Pete the second this is all over," she said, gesturing to the environment around her.

"That's really none of my business, Carter," he replied evenly, still facing the door.

"I thought you might like to know anyway," she said with a shrug, turning back to her work as her CO silently slipped from the room.


	13. Chapter 13

Jack wasn't ready to return to his office just yet. He felt completely drained from the day's stresses so far, but was also verging dangerously on giddiness from Carter's parting words. He needed to clear his head and get back to work, but like a boy knowing he should be in class and choosing instead to ditch school altogether, O'Neill simply could not bear to face the mountain of work sitting on his desk just yet. He wanted someone to talk to, but wasn't sure whom to trust. For all he had been through with Daniel and Teal'c, airing his current thoughts would put them all in an awkward position. Then inspiration struck. Daniel had said he needed to get to know this alleged daughter of his. He'd talk to her.

Turning towards the elevators, O'Neill quickly made his way through the mountain's tunnels towards the girl's assigned quarters. Knocking gently at the door, he heard a muffled thud and curse before Mia pulled it open, a look of confusion settling over her startlingly familiar features as she saw who it was.

"General O'Neill," she said, pulling herself up a little straighter. "I'm really sorry about earlier, I never should have opened my mouth," she rambled. O'Neill silenced her with a hand. "Don't worry about," he replied casually. "Would you mind taking a walk with me?," he added, gesturing down the hall.

"A walk?," she asked, confused. Then, "I guess," came the tentative reply.

"Excellent," he replied enthusiastically, turning to Foxworth to dismiss him. "I was thinking somewhere up top. Would you prefer woods or streets?," he asked politely.

"Either would be fine," she replied meekly, more confused than ever.

"Woods, I think," he said, guiding her gently towards the elevator to bring them back to the surface.

They walked in silence the rest of the way from the complex, easily finding a beaten trail to follow through the thick trees and undergrowth surrounding the mountain. Mia looked around in awe, taking everything in with those clear, blue eyes of hers. O'Neill watched her carefully, waiting for the wonder to dwindle on her face before asking what he wanted to know. At long last, she turned to her silent companion, clearly seeking a reason for this impromptu walk. O'Neill squinted at her, planning his words carefully. Clearing his throat, he finally broke the silence, asking, "So, what do you think?"

"It's beautiful," she responded, taking another appreciative look around. "But not why you asked me to join you," she added pointedly, levelling him with Carter's best stare. It was actually a bit disconcerting, how much she looked like Sam.

"No," he replied, shaking himself mentally. "I actually wanted to ask you something personal," he added rather obscurely, fixing his attention straight ahead along the path. If she was surprised, she didn't show it. "Your parents," he said awkwardly, "What were they like?"

Mia's lips quirked in a half-grin as she absorbed his question. "I would think you would know better than me," she replied lightly. Jack frowned.

"Not really," he responded.

"I honestly don't remember much," said Mia, shrugging.

"Well, what do you remember?," he asked, getting a little testy again.

Mia paused, thinking. "They were happy together," she said at last, resuming their walk through the woods. "I remember them smiling a lot, and laughing. They loved each other very much. You could tell by the way they'd look at each other, or reach out to each other without even really thinking. They were inseparable," she finished, eyeing her companion curiously.

"What happened to them?," he asked next, briefly meeting her gaze. Mia exhaled slowly, steeling herself against the response.

"My mother died in childbirth when I was three," she began, noting the General's wincing frown at the stark nature of her words. "My baby brother died with her," she added, a strange hardness creeping into her voice. Jack knew that edge all too well. Her defences were going up around the memories, as if to protect her from events long since passed. "My father," she said with a note of bitterness, refusing to look up at him, "killed himself two days later. He couldn't bear the loss of his family a second time," she finished, closing her eyes briefly against the memory.

Jack had gone ghostly white at her words, absorbing their full weight almost instantaneously. "Mia," he began, fumbling for the right words.

"It's not your fault," she said, meeting his gaze with those clear eyes of hers. "I know he must have blamed himself, but it wasn't his fault, either," she added quietly. "The timeline was just trying to fix itself," she whispered sadly.

"The timeline isn't capable of reasoning," said Jack with feigned certainty. "Your father was." Mia's eyes hardened at his words, her defences going up again. Jack sighed. "Mia, I know myself. It was a selfish thing to do, an easy out from the pain. You didn't deserve to lose both your parents like that."

"General, technically I don't deserve to exist at all," she said vehemently. "Daniel will argue otherwise, but the fact is, my parents came from an anomalous timeline and failed to live out their natural lives without effecting the repaired course of events. They should never have had me," she said with quiet passion, glaring up at him. "And nature erased them before they could make things any worse," she finished.

"If that were true, than why didn't nature erase you as well?," he asked pointedly. "They made their choices, Mia, but fact is, they wouldn't have been in that situation if it hadn't been for a General O'Neill very much like myself ordering the first mission to Egypt to retrieve the ZPM. So you see, I am to blame, as much as they are. And you do have the right to be here, however awkward it may be for all of us," he added passionately, noting with some satisfaction the look of surprise now registering across her delicate features.

"I think I understand now why Daniel said to trust you completely," she said numbly, still processing his words. That clearly startled him, but he chose not to comment. Continuing on in silence, Mia eventually asked, "Why did you want to know about my parents, anyway?"

General O'Neill sighed, suddenly feeling very weary. "You were right about having an opportunity," he said grudgingly, squinting into the distance. "I guess I just wanted to know what I'd be getting myself into," he added thoughtfully.

"Recon?," she asked with a note of amusement. His lips quirked upward in response.

"You could say that," he replied with a half-smile, stepping ahead of her along the path to continue their impromptu hike. Weary or not, it felt good to be off-base for a while, and judging by the serenity stealing back over Mia's face, he figured she could use a bit more fresh air as well.


	14. Chapter 14

Daniel shuffled the papers before him impatiently, glaring from the empty seat at the head of the table, to the door leading into the large room.

"You know, I can understand Jack's reluctance to do his paperwork, but you'd think he'd bother to show up to our briefings on time," he grumbled to his other two teammates. Across the table, Teal'c merely raised a silent eyebrow in response, while beside him Sam shrugged helplessly.

"I have noticed that O'Neill has been somewhat preoccupied since the arrival of Mia O'Neill," said Teal'c knowingly, the shadow of a smile lurking beneath his words. Sam glanced up sharply, startled by the Jaffa's words.

"I'd actually forgotten about her," said Sam, suddenly embarrassed. Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Sam, we were both in your lab this morning before Jack showed up," he said in mild exasperation. "How could you possibly forget?" Sam blushed lightly at his words.

"I've had a lot on my mind," she replied guardedly. Both her teammates eyed her curiously, waiting for her to go on. She rolled her eyes. "Ok, so I've been a little caught up in the readings brought back by SG-12," she replied sharply. "Thus the briefing," she added, motioning to the room they currently occupied.

"Well, I still think you should join us for lunch," said Daniel, gazing intently at his friend. "Providing, of course, that Jack ever shows up so we can get this briefing over with," he added archly.

"I'm sure he has a good reason for being late," said Sam, half-heartedly defending her CO. Daniel eyed her speculatively, clearly trying to decide whether or not she was serious. For her part, Sam was simply glad to have distracted the scholar from his persistent lunch invitation. She really could not imagine what she should say to her alter-ego's daughter. She was having a hard enough time imagining her alter-ego even _having_ a daughter. With General O'Neill, no less. It made facing the girl awkward, at best. And while it could be interesting from a scientific perspective to examine the facts of the divergent and reintegrated timelines represented by Mia's existence, it was still not a meeting she looked forward to. Surely Daniel could appreciate that. After all, he had experienced first-hand the disconcerting possibilities of an living in an alternate reality. Surely he, of all people, would appreciate the discomfort inherent in having to socialize with one's child from an alternate timeline.

As if reading her thoughts, Daniel calmly ventured, "You should really talk to her, you know. Mia's nowhere near as terrifying as you and Jack seem intent on making her out to be." Sam sighed.

"Daniel, it's a little more complicated than that," she said. "Genetically speaking, she _is _my daughter," she tried to explain. "But in every other respect, she's a complete stranger."

"Wouldn't it be the same thing even if you _had_ been the Sam Carter to give birth to her? Isn't that what parenthood is all about? Getting to know your children?," he argued passionately.

"Yeah, as they grow!," Sam countered. "But this girl is already teetering on adulthood. It's not the same thing, Daniel," she said, levelling him with a serious stare. "Nothing about this feels natural or real. In this timeline, I couldn't possibly be her mother."

"That is not true, Colonel Carter," piped in Teal'c, with his usual clarity. Daniel and Sam both turned to stare. "Her conception has been placed several months following the mission to ancient Egypt. In reality, it has been little more than three weeks since that mission would have taken place. There is yet time to conceive Mia O'Neill in this timeline as well."

Sam and Daniel both gaped at the Jaffa, who was looking from one to the other with a rather smug grin tugging up the corners of his mouth. Recovering first, Sam reasoned, "Teal'c, it isn't going to happen. General O'Neill is still my commanding Officer, and the rules..."

"Actually," interrupted Daniel, his eyes suddenly alight, "once he signs off on your transfer, that will no longer be true." He grinned wickedly at her, eyes suddenly blazing with delight.

"Daniel," she growled warningly, glaring back at him. "It isn't going to happen," she said, clearly emphasizing each word as she ground them past gritted teeth. Daniel's features settled into a smug grin, though he wisely abstained from making any further comment on the issue. Sam was just about to press her point further when General O'Neill strolled casually into the room, smiling at them all.

"Hey kids," he quipped lightly. "Sorry I'm late. Got a little tied up talking to our latest house guest," he added by way of explanation. If anything, Daniel's smirk grew. Sam glared at him as O'Neill took his seat. "So what are we in for?," he asked, pulling a copy of the mission briefing towards him as he spoke.

"Well, Sir," began Sam, quickly switching back into some semblance of professionalism, "SG-12 has just finished their initial survey of P7X-294, and I believe some of their findings would be worth further investigation."

"How so?," asked the General, silently praying for the Cliff Notes version of the explanation.

"The team took readings of the planet's ambient radiation levels. They were about four times higher than we would have expected from an uninhabited world, and they were strongest at ground level."

"Meaning?," asked the General, waving his hand impatiently for her to continue.

"Meaning there could be a possible energy source on the planet, a natural resource of some sort that could potentially be harnessed for use here on Earth."

"Ah," he replied, leaning back in his chair. "And you're certain this radiation isn't dangerous?," he asked calmly.

"There was nothing in any of the preliminary readings to indicate any immediate danger, Sir," Sam reassured.

"Then you have a go," he said, sitting forward again. "You'll leave at 15:00 hours." Then, rising from his seat, he added, "Dismissed."


	15. Chapter 15

"Colonel Carter," called Teal'c, lengthening his stride to keep pace with her as she sped down the corridor leading away from the briefing room. "Am I to understand that you will be leaving the SGC?," he asked.

Sam sighed, feeling absurdly guilty for not having told him right away, though in truth she had only known a few hours herself. "I've received orders to report to Area 51 as Head of the Stargate Research program," she confirmed. "I'm sorry, Teal'c. I should have told you as soon as I found out. This has just been such a crazy day," she rambled lamely. Teal'c smiled warmly in response.

"This is indeed good news, Colonel Carter," he replied affectionately.

"Is it?," she asked, looking at him curiously. "SG-1 has been our life for the past eight years. I can't quite imagine going to work every day and _not_ seeing you and Daniel." Again he smiled warmly in response, tilting his head ever so slightly in silent agreement with her words.

"It will be a good opportunity for you, Colonel Carter," he replied sincerely, although she wasn't entirely sure whether he meant that from a scientific perspective, or a personal one. She felt her face warming at the possible implication of his words, although Teal'c made no further comment on the subject. Instead, he surprised her by saying "I have recently been offered a place among the free Jaffa at Dakara. I had thought to decline in order to continue my service among the Tauri," he added, pausing slightly. "However," he continued, "I now feel inclined to reconsider the offer." Sam stopped dead in her tracks, starring up at her generally silent friend. "Wow," she said at last, at a loss for words. "Indeed," he replied, smiling again. "It would appear there are a great many changes on the horizon for SG-1," he added.

"Indeed," said Sam numbly, mirroring the warrior's trademark response. They walked in silence a few moments, their pace more sedate than before. It was suddenly as if there were an unspoken need to cherish the last few days they'd have together before they parted ways for what could be forever. Sam swallowed a lump in her throat, all too aware that today's mission with SG-1 would likely be their last before the team was disbanded for good. It was a sobering thought, and she was more grateful than ever for the silent companionship of the Jaffa walking along beside her.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Ok, so I meant to post the next two chapters at the same time as 14 & 15, but when I re-read chapter 16, I realized it didn't really fit. I've re-written it (and re-re-written a few bits), so hopefully it will work better now, but as always, feedback is welcome.

* * *

Sam reluctantly made her way down to the commissary. She was not looking forward to her lunch with Daniel and Mia, although she really couldn't see a way around it. There was no doubt in her mind that if she didn't accept their invitation willingly today, Daniel would find some other way to spring her alter-ego's daughter on her. Might as well get it over with now.

Sighing, she made her way between the crowded tables, grabbing a tray of food and scanning the room quickly before finding her friend's beaming face in the crowd and making her way towards his table. Placing her tray gently before her, she gingerly pulled out the seat across from Daniel, lowering herself onto the chair as she said a quick hello to her two mealtime companions. Mia smiled awkwardly in return, clearly about as much at ease with this situation as Sam was herself. Oddly, that small fact helped Sam relax a little as she silently nibbled her lunch, unsure what she was supposed to say.

Unsurprisingly, Daniel was the first to speak. "So, Mia, what have you been up to today?," he asked cheerfully.

Mia's brow furrowed slightly as she replied, "Nothing much. I had an impromptu sparring match with an SF guard named Tom, then a proper training session with Teal'c after breakfast. Then there was the incident in Colonel Carter's lab," she continued, looking extremely embarrassed, "for which I'm very sorry," she added sheepishly, meeting Sam's surprised gaze, "And then General O'Neill and I went for a walk through the woods around base," she finished. Daniel had stopped chewing and was staring incredulously at the young woman.

"Nothing much?," he asked in disbelief. "It's barely even noon!"

"I've been up since before dawn," Mia explained hastily. Sam had to stifle a grin at her friend's sudden discomposure as Mia eyed him innocently, clearly unable to understand his surprise.

"Even still," he muttered. And then, "Jack actually took you out for a walk?" Mia shrugged.

"There were a few things about my parents he wanted to know," she responded.

"Like what?," asked Sam, her own brow furrowing in much the same way Mia's had mere moments before. Mia blushed slightly, growing flustered.

"I think he wanted to know if they were happy together," she replied cautiously, avoiding Sam's gaze. Silence ensued, and when Mia dared to raise her eyes again, it was impossible to tell who looked more startled by her response, Sam or Daniel. Each now wore an almost identical expression of surprised disbelief, gaping wordlessly at her as if waiting for some further explanation that would make more sense to them.

"What?," she asked at last, blushing furiously under their frozen stares.

Daniel recovered first, spluttering, "Ah, well, it's just that Jack doesn't usually show much interest in..." he paused uncertainly, waving his hands in the air, "Well, anything, really," he finished at last, leaning into the table for support. Sam shot him a quick look of disapproval before returning her attention to Mia.

"So he was asking about the other SG-1?," Sam fished lamely, ignoring Daniel's frown. Mia smiled patiently, saying, "No. He never asked about my Daniel or Teal'c." Now it was Sam's turn to frown. She had expected this meeting to be awkward, but more from an alternate-timeline perspective than from anything Mia and General O'Neill could have been discussing earlier. To make matters worse, Daniel's interest was definitely piqued by the direction this conversation was taking, and she couldn't help but worry how much longer it would be before someone else from one of the other tables in the crowded room began to show interest in the conversation as well.

"So what did you tell him?," asked Daniel suddenly, his eyes never wavering from Mia's face long enough to register his teammates growing discomfort. Mia, however, was not quite so cavalier about Sam's personal life, and glanced cautiously at the older woman before carefully wording her response to Daniel. "I told him what little I could remember, the way they were always together, always laughing and smiling. They were happy together, for the short time they had." She shrugged, carefully pushing the dull ache left by their loss to the back of her mind. They were gone, and she was here. Nothing else mattered in that moment.

Mia returned her attention to the contents of her tray, pointedly avoiding direct eye contact with either of her companions. Shooting Daniel a warning look, Sam did the same, fiddling with her lunch until the end of her break, lost deep in thought. As she stood to leave, however, Mia stood as well, falling silently into step beside her as they emptied their trays and left the commissary.

Once safely out of earshot of any curious onlookers, Mia spoke softly, saying "I know this is none of my business, but I think you should know that what my parents had was really special. I've watched a lot of couples together, and I've never seen anything like it since." She paused, shaking her head. Sam was eyeing her cautiously, maintaining both her silence and her pace. "Don't let him bully you out of taking the job in Nevada," she continued in a rush, explaining, "He's so afraid of losing you, he's not seeing how much closer you could be outside of this life." Mia gestured toward the grey corridors of the SGC as she finished. Sam stopped abruptly, carefully studying her would-be daughter's face. Concern and uncertainty were etched deeply into Mia's features, lending her a haunting resemblance to the General anytime he had been forced to face the possible mortality of someone he cared for. Sam blinked, reaching unthinkingly for the girl's hand. She squeezed gently, releasing it quickly with a small smile.

"Thank you," she said simply, turning to go. Mia stayed rooted in place, watching quietly as Sam quickly closed the distance to the next corridor, rounding the corner out of sight.

As she made her way back to her lab, Sam couldn't help but think that somehow, without even realizing, she had reached a turning point. First there had been her dad on his deathbed, saying _"Don't let rules stand in the way._ _You can still have everything you want_." Then Daniel and Teal'c in the briefing room this morning, and now Mia in the hallway. More importantly, what everyone seemed bent on telling her was nothing she hadn't already thought or felt for herself. Only now, the timing seemed right. Nothing stood in her way. Her career was no longer an issue. And from what she had learned fishing recently with a certain General and their two closest friends, neither one of them had any other personal attachments. Everything was different. This time would be different. Steeling her resolve, Sam marched up to the General's office door, and knocked.


	17. Chapter 17

General Jack O'Neill was buried under his usual stack of unread memos when there was an unexpected gentle knocking at his door. Grumbling to himself, he called out "Come in," gingerly rearranging the piles on his desk so he'd be able to see his visitor once they came in. Leaning over to drop a large stack of memos on the floor by his chair, O'Neill was doubly surprised to see the head of his flagship team step into the room as he straightened himself up.

"Carter," he said, somewhat confused, "Shouldn't you be gearing up for your mission this afternoon?". She hesitated, eyeing her commander speculatively a moment. At last she responded with a well-trained "Yes, Sir," acknowledging that she had more than one mission to attend to this afternoon.

"Then what is it?," he asked bluntly, starring her down.

"Permission to speak freely, Sir?," she asked, steeling her nerves against the inevitably awkward conversation about to take place.

"Always, Carter," he replied, motioning for her to sit. She did as suggested, fidgeting nervously in the seat while trying to find the right words to say. "Carter," said Jack at last, growing impatient with her prolonged silence, "much as I might otherwise enjoy this impromptu visit, I do have other matters demanding my attention as well." He gestured irritably toward the multiple stacks of papers towering over his desk. Carter sighed. "Yes, Sir," she replied quietly. Jack raised his eyebrows in anticipation.

"Sir," she said at last, meeting his impatient gaze. "About this morning. I wanted to make myself absolutely clear about something." Sam swallowed hard, fighting both to hold his gaze and resist the urge to bolt from the room as fast as she could. Miraculously, she held her ground, watching the General's impatience fade into guarded curiosity.

"Sir," she continued, still searching for words, "Before I leave, I think we should meet. Off base. For dinner," she finished rather awkwardly. O'Neill's eyes widened in surprise as he exhaled sharply, running a hand nervously through his grey hair. Closing his eyes for a moment, he asked pointedly "Carter, are you asking me on a date?"

"Yes, Sir," she replied hesitantly, biting her lower lip. This was beyond awkward. The General looked for all the world as if he had just been struck dumb. His eyes were wide with disbelief, and though his mouth opened and closed as if to respond, no sound emerged. Sam winced involuntarily, waiting for her worst fears to be voiced. Instead, however, the General managed to clear his throat at last, rasping, "Ok," with a tiny nod of his head.

"Ok?," she repeated, mirroring his own uncertainty and disbelief.

"Yeah," he said, more confidently now. "Ok. A date." Sam smiled, brightening the room for an instant. Jack grinned involuntarily as well, caught up in the moment.

"Ok, then," said Sam, still beaming as she stood to leave.

"And Carter," he said, as she turned to open the door.

"Yes Sir?," she asked, looking back to her CO, her hand still resting lightly on the door's metal handle.

"Watch your six out there today," he said, looking at her meaningfully.

"Yes, Sir," she replied with a grin, leaving the office quickly in an almost giddy haze.

Jack leaned back in his chair, head resting casually on linked hands. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so perfectly happy, so alive. Grinning, he spun 'round in his chair, grabbing the nearest stack of papers to tackle with an enthusiasm he had most certainly never felt before.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Really not great with the scientific bits, but the planet is important. Please bear with me...

* * *

They stepped through the gate, rematerializing on a planet lush with vegetation. The gate itself stood in a small grassy meadow, bordered on all sides by dense forest. The broken remains of an elaborate stone hall filled the rest of the meadow, apparently having once housed the gate itself. Once through, Daniel immediately headed for the nearest tumbled pillar, searching for any writings that might help explain the unusual energy readings recorded by SG-12 on their initial mission through to the planet. Remaining next to the gate, Sam began calibrating her instruments to pinpoint the source of the energy readings, while Teal'c began a sweep of the meadow, searching for danger or anything else that might prove valuable to his more scientifically inclined teammates. It was a warm day on this distant world, and the three soon found themselves pleasantly engrossed in their tasks while enjoying the temperate weather and fresh air.

Sam stepped gingerly from the gate, aiming a carefully calibrated sensor in a slow, wide arc around the clearing. The readings never varied, as if the energy were somehow all around them, rather than emanating from a particular spot. Sam frowned at the instrument in her hand, repeating the slow, wide arc around the clearing. No change. She returned to her gear, exchanging the first sensor for another, more sensitive piece of equipment. This time, she physically toured the full border of the meadow, probing the edges of forest for some indication of a hidden power source. Again, the readings remained consistently high around the entire perimeter. Whatever was causing the elevated energy readings, it obviously encompassed a significant area. Sam grimaced. Unless Daniel came up with something in his search of the ruins, it was beginning to look as if they'd have to hike through the dense underbrush of the surrounding forest in order to find the energy's source.

"Teal'c," she called, drawing the warrior's attention. "I'm going to do a perimeter sweep a few metres into the woods, to see if these readings change any. You and Daniel stay here and see if you can find anything that might help explain this phenomenon." Teal'c bowed his head in acknowledgement, and Sam headed off, silently counting her steps until she figured she was several meters through the underbrush. Watching her instruments closely, she paced clumsily through the thick foliage, tracing a wide path around the perimeter of the meadow. Still, the readings remained unchanged. Sam frowned again, studying the deep vegetative gloom around her. These results didn't make sense. Whether naturally occurring or not, there should be some variation to the readings. There were none. Sam sighed, grudgingly trudging her way back to Teal'c and Daniel.

Stepping back into the long grass of the little meadow, Sam headed quickly towards her two companions, who crouched low over a broken pile of rubble. "Find something?," she asked as she neared their position.

"Sort of," said Daniel, waving her over. "There _is_ an inscription here, only I'm not quite sure what it says." He grinned sheepishly. "It's written in the same script used by the Ancients, only it doesn't seem to be any dialect I've ever seen before. I can't make heads or tails of it," he confessed. Sam groaned inwardly. To her team she said, "All right. Let's document it for review and move on. Whatever is causing this energy field, it seems to encompass a fairly large area. I'd like to take some readings further into the forest. We'll contact the SGC now to let them know what we've found so far, and that we'll be out of radio range for a while. It looks like we're going hiking today," she said, forcing a measure of enthusiasm she didn't quite feel. Daniel gave her a strange look, and Teal'c raised an eyebrow, but neither said a word as they reorganized their gear in preparation for their trip into the woods. In the meantime, Sam dialled the gate, making a quick report to the SGC before rejoining her companions and taking point.

There was something extremely unsettling about this planet as far as Sam was concerned. In her eight years of Stargate travel, naturally occurring energy levels this high were completely unheard of in the galaxy. And energy levels of any kind remaining this constant over time and distance were equally unlikely. She fervently hopped they would reach the edge of the energy field sooner rather than later. She figured she'd relax some just knowing the extent of the phenomenon. Once it had borders, it would be definable. Right now, however, it was creeping her out.

It was slow going, moving through the thick underbrush. Despite the ruins around the gate, no other signs of habitation had been found during SG-12's initial survey of the planet, nor could they see any now. There were no trails through the woods, no further ruins hidden deep among the trees. Dim lighting filtering down through the thick canopy of leaves high overhead added another level of challenge to the task at hand, causing the three companions to trip and stumble over stumps, rocks and fallen debris as they made their way forward. An hour into their hike and Sam's readings still hadn't changed. Two hours. Five.

Darkness was closing in around them. Sam ordered a full stop for the night, helping her teammates set up a makeshift camp in the dense underbrush. To say they were all a little unsettled by her findings, or lack thereof, was an understatement. None of them slept well that night, a deep sense of foreboding haunting their dreams. As soon as dawn broke through the dense canopy, they set off again, Sam's instruments at the ready to pick up any fluctuation in the energy field.

The second day of walking was much the same as the first, slowly picking their way across the thickly veiled and uneven terrain. Again, the energy field remained constant. Around midday, Teal'c broke the silence, asking, "Colonel Carter, is it not possible that this energy emanates from the planet's core?"

"No," she said, matter-of-factly. "Not unless the core itself was a manufactured power source. A planet like this one should have a core of solid ore, with minimal energy of its own. Even if that core was wrapped in a sheath of a highly volatile molten element, it shouldn't produce energy like this."

"What about Naqueda?," asked Daniel lightly. Sam shook her head. "Nothing we've encountered so far could explain these readings, Daniel. Frankly, I have no idea what we're looking for." Both teammates stared at her in disbelief. Sam rolled her eyes. "We'll give it another day on foot, and if we're still no closer to having an answer, we'll head back to base for a UAV." Teal'c and Daniel exchanged a glance, then looked back to Sam, Daniel silently gesturing for her to lead on. Taking point, Sam led her team further still into the alien world, her skin prickling with apprehension as her gaze darted from the trees around them to the instrument nestled gently in her left palm, her mind desperately searching for an answer to this unfathomable puzzle.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Okay, I confess, the next few chapters are a lot more mission-related than you might expect after so many chapters spent building relationships, but again, please bear with me. I swear it'll pay off in the end.

And thank you to everyone who keep coming back for more! I love reading your comments and impressions!

* * *

With the members of SG-1 currently off world, Mia had had very little to do for the past two days other than read. Although her Daniel had taught her to read several different languages as a child, this experience of sitting curled in a chair with a book in her hands was quite new to her. Growing up, papyrus had been extremely hard to come by. All of her lessons had been carefully traced into the dirt floor of their home, only to be erased again as the day wore on. Mia much preferred this new method of reading. Wrapped snugly in her new sweater and comforter, sipping what Tom had called 'hot chocolate', she felt blissfully content for the first time since her arrival. And although she had at first resented the stack of books Daniel had handed her to review before leaving through the Stargate, she was now grateful for those silent companions who so filled her days with their studied wisdom.

Flipping through her third book in as many days, Mia was startled out of her solitary reverie by a knock at her door. "Come in," she called, rising from her seat, the comforter falling in a heap to the floor. General O'Neill stepped tentatively into the room, shutting the door behind him. Eyeing her appraisingly, he raised a hand holding a small number of loose pages and asked, "When you said Daniel taught you everything he knows, did you mean _everything_ he knows, or just everything he thought _you_ should know?". Mia gazed curiously at him, holding out a hand for the pages he had brought along.

"To the best of my knowledge," she replied, gently taking the pages from her pseudo-father, "Daniel taught me absolutely everything he knew. Though this," she said, indicating the images he had just given her, "doesn't look familiar at all. What is it?".

"Images taken by SG-12 on their initial survey of P7X-294. SG-1 was just sent to explore the planet more fully, but somehow, these images were left out of the briefing. And I'm pretty sure that if Daniel had seen them, he'd have had more to say about the mission." Mia studied the images closely, noting the faint lines etched into the stones figured in each one. She shook her head. "If it is a written language, it isn't one of the ones I know." O'Neill exhaled slowly. "All right," he said, squinting at her. "How about if I give you access to all of Daniel's research? Would you be able to help us figure this out?," he asked, nodding towards the images in her hands.

Mia gazed at the images again. "I can try," she said uncertainly, "but I can't guarantee any sort of success." O'Neill nodded his understanding. "Do you really think these markings could be important?," Mia added, a note of concern tingeing her voice.

"I don't know," he replied cautiously. "But I have a feeling they might be. I'd like for you to get to work on this as soon as possible," he said seriously, removing a swipe card from his pocket and handing it to her. "This'll only work on Daniel's door, so don't try snooping around anywhere else," he added, a wry smile on his face.

"Of course," she said, accepting the card. O'Neill reached for the door. "General," she called just as he was about to leave. "Don't you have anyone else on base to handle situations like this?," she asked curiously. Jack sighed. "All off world right now," he replied somewhat tersely. Then he shrugged. "Who would've thought we'd need more archaeologists around?." Mia grinned at that, watching as the General's form retreated through her door and down the hallway. _Well_, she thought to herself, _at least now I'll be able to put some of that studying to good use. _Following the General through the door, Mia headed in the opposite direction, anxious to get started on her new assignment.

Entering Dr. Jackson's office, Mia gasped in surprise. She had never fully appreciated the scope of his work until she stood face to face with the amassed evidence of years worth of research. Shelves and tables alike were stacked high and deep with books and artifacts from every conceivable civilization known to this planet and many others besides. Papers were scattered haphazardly around the room, buried beneath books, stuffed into drawers, stacked on top of already cluttered shelves. And then there was the computer. Mia had never before seen one, but knew it on sight. Daniel's computer would house thousands of files detailing SGC missions and their related findings. Mia stood immobilized in the doorway, slowly taking stock of everything before her and the improbability of completing the mission she had just agreed to see through. Taking another step into the room, the SF posted to keep an eye on her let out a sudden, low whistle. She looked at him curiously, and he flushed slightly.

"Sorry, Ma'am," he said by way of apology. "I don't envy you your job." Mia sighed. "Right now, neither do I," she replied, making another searching sweep of the room with her intelligent blue eyes. If there was any sort of cataloguing system in here, she'd be very surprised. Daniel was by no means known for his organization. She handed two of the photos from General O'Neill over to the guard. "Here," she said, "We're looking for something that can help us identify these markings."

"We?," he asked cautiously, looking around. Mia sighed again. "You're not just going to stand around all day making sure I don't touch anything I'm not supposed to," she reprimanded lightly. "Make yourself useful," she added, gesturing to the mounds of information all around them. The guard looked at her incredulously, then at the general disorder of the room. Deciding at last that she was serious, he said, "Alright, where do we start?". Mia smiled. "You take the sides to the left and front of the door, I'll take the sides to the right and back. We'll meet back at the central table and go from there," she replied authoritatively.

"Yes, Ma'am," he answered, grinning. His charge may not have appeared like much of a security risk when he first met her, but he sensed she was certainly going to give him a run for his money now. No longer a lounging teenager holed up in her quarters with a stack of books, this young woman had the same air of command and authority as the General himself, in his more serious moments. The similarity was almost comical as she divided their workload and left him to his assignment with utter confidence in his motivation and ability to actually be of any assistance to her. Still smiling, he set to work, silently wondering if he'd have the chance to see her and the General square off on an issue. It would be fascinating to see whose will would win out in the end.

For her part, Mia quietly began scanning books and papers, searching for any clue as to the nature of the markings that had raised concern with General O'Neill. Hours passed while Mia and her companion sifted through eight years worth of Daniel's notes, and a lifetime worth of research. Lunch was brought to them, then supper. Tom returned for his evening shift, relieving her earlier companion and taking his place in the hunt for something useful. Nothing seemed to match the markings on the stones found by SG-12. Finally, around midnight, Mia was ready to call it quits for the day. Exhausted and discouraged, she rubbed her dry, tired eyes and opened her mouth to let Tom know the search was over for the night when the young SF turned suddenly to face her, grinning. In his hand was a ratty old notebook. "I think I've found something!" he exclaimed triumphantly.


	20. Chapter 20

Their third day on the planet was spent almost entirely in a strenuous trek uphill. They seemed to have reached the foothills of a heavily forested mountain range the night before, and true to her word, Sam pushed them forward for the full of that third day, determined to find something useful to bring back to the SGC. Sam's readings, however, never wavered, and Teal'c and Daniel had been unable to spot any further indications of civilization that could explain the high energy levels encasing the planet. Making camp for the night in a sheltered outcropping of rock, Sam was forced to admit defeat.

"We'll head back down the mountain at first light," she said to her teammates, stirring her soup despondently. "With any luck, the trip back to the gate will be easier than the trip here, and we'll get a UAV in the air before the end of the week."

"We should probably request a geological survey as well," added Daniel thoughtfully. Sam and Teal'c eyed him curiously, and he shrugged. "Think about it," he said, gesturing to Sam. "You yourself said the only way energy levels could stay this steady was if they were manufactured rather than natural. Maybe a geological survey would turn something up."

Sam grew thoughtful for a moment. "If whatever is producing these energy levels is manufactured rather than natural, we're talking about a huge scale device with an incredibly stable power source. And I'm still not sure what good a geological survey would be."

"Well," said Daniel, "Teal'c may have had the right idea yesterday when he mentioned the planet's core. Maybe the planet itself is manufactured." Sam eyed him sceptically. "Seriously Sam," he said intently, "with everything we've seen, isn't it at least possible?".

"Possible, maybe," she replied. "But it doesn't seem very likely. Why go to all the trouble of creating a planet, and then not settle it?"

"Well, we don't really know that it _isn't_ settled, for starters," said Daniel impatiently. "All we know for certain is that the area immediately surrounding the Stargate isn't settled."

"Yes, and that in and of itself doesn't make sense," Sam interrupted. "If this planet was created by an advanced race, who then placed a Stargate on the planet's surface, why wouldn't colonization have occurred around the gate?"

"There are ruins around the gate," defended Daniel.

"Ruins of a single structure," amended Sam.

"Even still," said Daniel, "it's evidence of civilization. Besides," he added hastily, before Sam could interrupt again, "my point is that there could be a reason other than colonization for creating an artificial planet. It could have been made to provide an overcrowded civilization with natural resources lacking on their own home-world. I mean look around us! In lumber alone this planet could be indispensable to a civilization not unlike our own, and there could be ore veins in those mountains, or farmland further on." Sam gazed appraisingly at her friend before taking a small hammer and chisel from her pack. "Sam, what are you doing?," asked the archaeologist, startled from his monologue.

"I'm going to take a sample from this outcropping. If your theory is correct, an analysis at the SGC should be able to confirm whether this stone is old enough to be part of a natural formation, or if it has been exposed to an artificial rapid-growth process. It never hurts to be thorough," she added with a shrug, scraping debris from the outcropping into a sample jar.

Just then, Teal'c, who had been quietly listening to the scientific exchange between his two friend from his place beside their campfire, shot to his feet in a burst of alertness. "Teal'c, what is it?," asked Sam, visibly concerned by his sudden change in posture. "I am unsure, Colonel Carter. But something is not as it should be," he replied evenly, carefully taking in their surroundings, his staff weapon at the ready. Sam and Daniel looked around as well, tensed to act should the need arise. The air around them seemed to shimmer and ripple, as it would on a hot summer's day, and then three things happened at once. Colonel Carter's scientific instruments suddenly bleeped to life, registering a massive energy spike coming from the planet's surface; the shimmering air abruptly solidified into an opaque haze, engulfing SG-1 in an almost gelatine-like barrier, freezing them in their tracks; and Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel all collapsed to the mossy forest floor, unconscious.

Around them, the odd haze cleared as suddenly as it had appeared, and Sam's instruments displayed a return to normalcy in the planet's energy readings. SG-1, however, remained completely inert, their limp forms sinking deeply into the layers of moss and dead leaves beneath them. Their campfire, extinguished by the same force that had rendered them unconscious, lay smoking between them. All was quiet, save for the chirping of alien birds high in the branches above them. Beneath them, tiny, razor-sharp tendrils pierced the rich earth, slicing through the flattened moss and moist leaves, lancing easily into the fleshy prey laying prone on the planet's surface. Behind them, the outcropping Colonel Carter had taken her sample from now oozed a sticky yellow substance, an amber sap which quickly coalesced into a protective layer of thick resin covering the wound.

Colonel Samantha Carter's last semi-conscious thought before the planet began extracting from her what she had taken from it was, 'sentience.' And there was no way she'd be able to warn the SGC not to send a rescue team when they didn't report back.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Thanks to Kalinysta for the grammar correction! The first sentence reads a little more smoothly now.

* * *

It was just after one in the morning when General O'Neill woke to the sound of urgent pounding on his bedroom door. "What?," he shouted testily, rolling stiffly from his military-issue bed. Five days of sleeping in his base quarters rather than his own bed at home was really doing a number on him. Groaning, he bent his knees experimentally before moving rigidly across the room to yank the door open. Wearing nothing more impressive than a beat-up Simpson's t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants, with his silver hair still tousled from interrupted sleep, he glared bleary-eyed at his guests before stepping barefoot out into the blinding lights of the hallway, quickly ushering the young woman and the SF guard down the hall to a deserted conference room.

"What do you have for me?," he asked briskly, flipping the lights on and shutting the door behind them.

Mia and Tom looked from one to the other, than back at the General before Mia finally spoke. "It's a language you've encountered before, although the writing is highly stylized to the point of being almost unrecognizable." She paused, and O'Neill waved a hand impatiently for her to continue. "It would seem that the language belongs to one of the four great races you first encountered on Ernest Littlefield's planet, the Furlings." Jack groaned. His last encounter with Furling technology had left him stranded on an inaccessible moon with Harry Maybourne. He would have been content to live out the remainder of his days without coming into contact with their civilization again. He sighed. "All right," he said. "What did the stones say?". Mia glanced uncertainly at Tom again, looking for support, but all he could do was shrug. Steeling herself, she replied, "To be honest, we don't know. It isn't a language Daniel has been able to translate more than a few fragmented portions of text for. We barely have a rudimentary understanding of their syntax and grammar, let alone their full vocabulary."

Jack exhaled sharply. "Were you able to translate any of the words?," he asked tersely. Mia flushed, embarrassed. "Only one. It said 'peace'," she replied, staring helplessly at the General. "Peace?," he repeated. "I can't even place it in context," she admitted sheepishly. "I'm really sorry. Without more to work with, I doubt I'll be able to translate any more than that." Jack thought for a moment. "How much more do you need?," he asked at last. "I don't know," she replied, momentarily caught off guard. "I've been through all of Ernest Littlefield's notes on the subject, and Tom helped me find Daniel's related research on the computer," she trailed.

"Tom?," he asked suspiciously. Mia gestured towards the young SF beside her. "You're on a first name basis with your guards?," O'Neill snapped irritably, glaring at Tom. "She's not military Sir," the young man explained. "I didn't see any harm in having her use my name instead of my rank."

"Have you ever heard of a little thing called professional detachment?," O'Neill spat. Mia narrowed her eyes, preparing to speak. Beside her, Tom flushed at the rebuke. "Yes, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir. It won't happen again," he said smartly, snapping to attention. "No, it won't," the General ground from between clenched teeth. "Report to level 16. Carrigan can relieve you here. You're dismissed."

"Yes, Sir," he replied, casting a brief, apologetic glance towards his charge before retreating through the conference room door.

"What did you do that for?," snapped Mia, glaring up at the General. "If it wasn't for Tom, we still wouldn't even know what language we were looking at!"

General O'Neill returned the teenager's glare, noting as he did that she straightened up in much the same manner as any one of his military personnel. She didn't flinch. "I'm not a prisoner," she stated coolly. "Is professional detachment really all that necessary even with guests?," she asked. O'Neill eyed her appraisingly. "The military is built on professional detachment. Without it, effective decision making would be impossible. The issue needed to be addressed," he replied evenly. Mia squinted at him, trying to read beneath his carefully crafted military facade. "And that was your only reason for dismissing him?," she asked pointedly. O'Neill shifted ever so slightly where he stood, maintaining eye contact with the girl. After a moment of guarded silence he replied, "You need to stay detached as well."

"Why?," she asked, startled. O'Neill sighed heavily. "Mia, I don't know what the future will hold for you, but I do know that becoming attached to the SGC will only lead to heartache. You can't stay here forever. This is a top-secret facility. Only top-level scientists and military personnel are employed here. I've already set things in motion for you to leave the SGC with enough documentation to get you into the college of your choice. From here on in, you'll be in charge of your own destiny. But it won't be at the SGC," he finished sympathetically.

Mia hesitated to respond, trying to absorb all of what he had just said. Finally, she nodded, accepting his words for what they were. She would have to say goodbye, again. Tears welled involuntarily in her eyes, but she held them firmly in check. Now was not the time, nor here the place. Jack relaxed his stance, wondering if he should attempt to comfort the girl, when her eyes suddenly cleared and she snapped back to business mode, focusing on the alien language that had brought them to this room in the wee hours of the morning in the first place.

"As I was saying earlier," she said, relaxing her stance as well, "we have a partial translation key available for the Furling language, but not enough to translate the markings on the stones found by SG-12."

"Did any of what you find include a report about the Furling portal on P5X-777?," asked O'Neill calmly. Mia looked startled. "No," she replied. The General nodded. "There should be extensive notes somewhere on base about the technology, if not the language. If anything, there should at least be images of the writing around the portal that you could use" Mia nodded. "I'll get started first thing in the morning," she replied soberly. General O'Neill shook his head. "You'll have to give me an hour or so to track down the reports. They won't be in with Daniel's research. The mission was while he was ascended, the first time," Jack explained. "Though I may also be able to get you some help with those translations, after all."

Mia eyed him curiously. "While he was ascended, an alien named Jonas Quinn joined SG-1 to take Daniel's place," Jack explained. "He's a quick study, and already familiar with all of Daniel's research as well as the mission to P5X-777. If I can contact him, he might be able to help you out. In the meantime, get some rest. I need you at your best if we're going to figure this out." Mia nodded, stifling a yawn. She was exhausted.

Following O'Neill from the conference room and back towards her own quarters, Mia silently reflected on the General's warning to remain detached. She had spent her entire life preparing for the moment when she would have to step foot into the Ancient spacecraft and guide it here, to this place and time, but never for anything beyond that. Thanks to Daniel, she had a thorough education to fall back on, but even still, he had never really prepared her for choosing a career. He had told her all about the time and place he had once called home, but he had never sat her down and discussed her own future role there. Since arriving, she had been living entirely in the moment, getting to know herself as much as the people around her, but even then, once landing in this foreign world, she hadn't found the time to consider where she would go from here. But the General was right. She couldn't stay here forever. It was a sobering thought, leaving her feeling more than a little hollow as she was escorted to her room for the night.

Crawling into the dubious warmth of her military-issue bed, Mia fell quickly asleep, her dreams filled with the warm sands of Egypt and memories of the other village girls and their young families. Her heart ached for home all night long.


	22. Chapter 22

Teal'c stood among the assembled free Jaffa, listening intently as the newly appointed leader spoke of past obstacles and victories, and the glory that was now their nation. His face spoke of deep fatherly pride as his son, Rya'c, outlined his plans for the united Jaffa nation. The young man's confidence was tempered by the truth and sincerity of his words. He would be a great leader. Jaffa everywhere would benefit from his spirit, his candour, his tenacity and his strength. More would join their cause. The Goau'ld would never again reign supreme in this galaxy. All around him, Jaffa cheered at his son's words, recognizing his greatness even as Teal'c did. Beside the young leader, his wife, Kar'yn, stood gazing lovingly at her husband, their infant son tucked snugly in her arms. She radiated all the pride, love and joy a father could wish for his son to have. She was, in every sense, the young man's partner. They had fought together, loved together, and risen together to this point, this position. His achievement was hers as well. Teal'c beamed at both of them, his heart full of love for his son, for Rya'c new family, and for the hope they gave the new Jaffa nation. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined such events would come to pass. Now, however, he could grow old knowing of the successes he himself helped wrought in giving life to this young man, and starting the rebellion his son would now complete.

The Jaffa around him were cheering wildly now, welcoming Rya'c as their leader, welcoming the victories they would share as a united nation of free Jaffa. The din was uproarious. Rya'c gaze roamed the crowd, resting briefly on his father's face. An acknowledging smile escaped the young man as he nodded briefly and moved on, locking eyes with many of his supporters, sending them further and further into their frenzied cries of acceptance and joy. Teal'c slowly melted back into the crowd, allowing the gathered throngs to carry him away from the platform, from his son and grandson, from the noisy celebration going on all around them. Reaching at last a doorway by which he could escape the crowds, Teal'c made his way sedately down the long, stone corridor, out into the bright sunlight of Dakara. He could rest now, knowing that his son would continue as he had began, knowing that his people would rise to greatness in this galaxy. Knowing that his lifelong foes, the Goau'ld, would be forever destroyed.

Teal'c smiled. Satisfied, yet wearily, he began the trek home. His heart was light, even if his feet were not. His body was beginning to show its age. He was not as limber as he had once been, nor as strong. He was glad there were younger warriors to take his place in the fields of battle still to come. His days of fighting were at an end. Stumbling slightly over the dusty terrain, his body ached in protest at the jolt. His body? Surely his body was not yet so weak as to stumble and ache quite like this. Where had the years gone? Something troubled him, nagged him from the depths of his long-lived memory. Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter. He had not thought of them in years. Were they even still alive? The nagging feeling grew more intense, demanding him to focus, to remember. He had to find Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter.

Changing direction, Teal'c made his way to the Stargate, forcing his protesting body to cover the distance quickly. The dry earth gave way to the force of his unyielding steps, reminiscent of a time when he would have run, full-strength, the distance between himself and his goal melting easily beneath his long, easy stride. He pushed himself harder, ignoring the pain lancing through his legs, his back. He had to find the rest of SG-1. Something wasn't right. He shouldn't be this weak. Not yet. He couldn't remember the years, although his aching body could. He needed their help, their medicine. They would set things right again. He would be able to watch Rya'c's children grow. He pushed harder, closing in on the Stargate. His chest heaved painfully as his lungs begged for more oxygen, and he gasped, chocking on the dry air of Dakara. Falling onto the DHD, Teal'c stretched his arm painfully, slowly dialling the familiar combination to Earth.

The Stargate whooshed to life. Forcing himself upright once again, Teal'c limped towards the gate, his limbs on fire and his lungs chocked with dust. Stumbling through the event horizon, he had the strangest sensation that he wasn't all there, as if the wormhole had somehow forgotten a piece of him back on Dakara. Hoping to find answers among the Tauri, he resigned himself to the possibility that this would be his final trip through the Stargate.

* * *

Daniel was floating, drifting, no longer tied to any one celestial body. Gone were the days of gate travel. He was no longer bound to the corporeal rules of physics. Light doesn't need a Stargate to travel. Drifting freely through the expanse of the universe, he was aware of _everything_. So much more than the five senses of sight, taste, smell, sound and touch that bound corporeal beings, Daniel was able to sense and process everything around him, simultaneously. He witnessed the birth of a new star, the destruction of a planet at the hands of the Goau'ld; the pain of his friends at his loss.

Death had been a release for Daniel, a transcendent experience. Ascension was a rebirth, a renewal of all that he was, coupled with the awareness of all that was in each and every instant of time. It was as if the inner recesses of his mind, his being, encompassed the whole of the universe, as if everything and everyone were on display for him to see. For him to know. He could focus in on anyone, on anything, he wanted to see more clearly. He could offer support, comfort, to his friends, their allies, in times of need. In truth, he felt he could do much more now than he had ever been able to do in life.

Daniel drifted peacefully through the Universe, watching, listening, learning. So many cultures, so much history in the making. He could watch it all unfold. A thousand years from now, he would still remember what had come before. He would be a volume in a vast library of sentient archives for the combined knowledge and understanding of the cosmos. The thought sent a thrill of satisfaction through his incorporeal being. He would matter. A thousand years from now, his experiences in this form would still matter. They were important. Critical, even, for continued enlightenment. Beyond the Stargate program back on Earth, the work he had done on his home planet was already long forgotten. His contributions, correct in every respect, had been ridiculed by the leading minds of his field. He'd been laughed offstage. But here, in the vastness of space, he was important.

Daniel stretched his senses as far as he could, absorbing all that he could. He would be meticulous in his record keeping. His attention would never lapse. How could it? In life he had never been able to imagine anything like this. The freedom to move and explore, the limitless potential to learn for all eternity. The power to contribute to the greater good simply by maintaining his enlightened state, and his vows to uphold the natural balance of the universe. This state, this ascension, it was beyond perfection. To remove oneself from the petty struggles, the rivalries, the bitterness and grief of daily life to rise above and see it all for what it was, for what it could be, was pure and utter bliss. The living were all as children, while the ascended, beings such as himself, were more as loving grandparents, silently watching the antics of the very young, at times amused, at times aggrieved.

He felt immeasurably diffuse, his senses as widespread as they were. It was a bit dizzying, in fact. Reigning in his enthusiasm, Daniel tried to focus his attention on the immediate vicinity, but to no avail. It was as if he were suddenly powerless to hone in on any one thing, any one event. His senses were nearly overwhelmed with stimuli now, bombarded with flashes of conversation, war, peace, love, despair... It was all a jumble, meaningless without it's natural order, without a sense of the actual progression. Again, Daniel tried desperately to reel his sense in, to focus on one person, one thing in the universe. He failed. He was spread so thin he wasn't sure they'd ever find all of him. For surely the Others were aware of what had happened?

Daniel schooled his mind to search for the people he knew best, for Sam and Jack and Teal'c. They should be easy to find. He knew them all as well as he knew himself, his old self, his old life. They were a part of him. He should be able to zero in on any one of them, no problem. Only he couldn't. He couldn't find any of them in the sudden chaos reeling through his mind. They weren't there. They had to be there. Daniel tried harder. He fought against the chaos, batting one useless image after another from his conscious mind. He needed to find his friends. He needed to focus. Clearing a small section of his awareness for himself, he focused his attention on finding his friends. Clarity was fleeting. His senses were by now completely overwhelmed, his awareness hypersensitive to the overabundance of stimuli. He couldn't find them. Desperate to reconsolidate his being within the abyss which threatened to destroy him, he lunged towards a small planet with a Stargate. If he couldn't find them using his heightened Ascended senses, he would find them the good old fashioned way. He'd dial Earth and shove his whole, eerily diffuse self through the gate and hope to come out intact on the other side.

Hurtling towards the now active Stargate, Daniel was only dimly aware that he might never make it to the other side if his powers couldn't consolidate enough to push his being through the iris protecting the Earth gate.


	23. Chapter 23

"General O'Neill would like to see you as soon as you've finished your breakfast," said lieutenant Carrigan, escorting Mia to the commissary. "Lieutenant Michaels will be waiting for us in the briefing room. He'll be your assigned guard for the day," he added conversationally. Mia's brain hardly registered his words. She had slept soundly the night before, exhausted from a long days' work, but her mind was too cluttered with a myriad of other thoughts to worry about Carrigan's casual summary of her morning schedule.

First on her mind was the alien language she was trying to decipher. She was anxious to get hold of the documents mentioned by the General the evening before, to see what progress she could make from there, if any. And he had promised her help today, hadn't he? That should make things a little easier. Maybe.

Then, of course, she'd start to wonder just how founded O'Neill's concerns were for his former team. He had said he didn't like to send people through the gate without all the facts, which made sense, but did that really explain the full extent of his concern now? Was it that they had gone through without knowing about the writing found by SG-12, or was it that they had gone through without him? Daniel had once told her that the team of his timeline had lived for the gate. Nothing was more important than going through on another mission, retracing the spread of human culture, fighting the Goau'ld, and procuring new technologies. And they had worked as one, each complimenting the skills bought to the team by the others, forming a cohesive whole so smooth in its functioning that it was almost as if it were a one-man team. Mia couldn't help but wonder if maybe the General was feeling antsy simply because he wasn't out there with them, where he belonged.

Finally, on top of her temporary assignment with the SGC and the confusing reality of getting to know her family over again, Mia had to contemplate the gaping abyss that was her future. And she'd really rather not. So despite Carrigan's attempts to prove to her that basic conversation was still possible while maintaining proper military detachment, she was finding herself unable to follow most of what he said.

Arriving at the commissary a few moments later, Mia grabbed a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice, and sat at the nearest free table she could find to mindlessly devour her breakfast as fast as possible so she could get back to work that much sooner. Unbeknownst to her, the expression of pensive distraction she wore was so completely identical to that of her mother's that most of the rest of the occupants in the commissary were quietly sniggering behind her back, tongues wagging over the alleged alternate-timeline relationship between their General and his former second in command.

Within minutes Mia was finished with her meal, distractedly following Carrigan as he led the way to the General's office at an alarmingly sedate pace. By the time they arrived, Mia was about ready to scream. Seeing her safely into the presence of lieutenant Michaels, Carrigan left the two of them to meet with General O'Neill. Mia guiltily acknowledged a certain measure of relief at his departure, sincerely hoping that Michael's would prove to be both silent and quick in his routine. Nodding in polite acknowledgment of her new companion, Mia led the rest of the way across the deserted briefing room to the General's office, rapping sharply on the door the moment it was within reach. Behind her, Michael's smirked, making the same connection so many of his colleagues had made not ten minutes before in the commissary. There was no denying that this young woman, impossible though it might seem, was General O'Neill and Colonel Carter's daughter. She had the perfect fusion of his impatience and her focus driving her towards the task at hand. Michaels shook his head disbelievingly. He never would have paid much attention to the rumours if he hadn't seen that particular expression for himself. He was going to owe money at this week's betting pool.

At the sound of Mia's sharp knock, O'Neill threw open the door, joining them in the briefing room with an armload of folders and video tapes. He dropped his bundle on the table, turning to greet Mia's look of surprise with a crooked grin.

"I thought you said you wouldn't be able to get any of this until mid-morning," she said in awe, studying the pile. His grin widened. "Turns out that even when I issue an order in the middle of the night, someone will still be awake to follow it."

"You don't say?," said Mia sarcastically, remembering her first moments on base and the snap-to-attention attitude of the officers whenever the General spoke. O'Neill shrugged, clearly pleased with himself. "Anyway," he said, "everything is all set up in here for you to work. Michaels will help you figure out the TV so you can watch the video footage, and these are all the notes and reports from everyone involved in trying to understand the Furling device we found. Oh," he added, rather abruptly, "and Jonas is on his way." Mia was impressed, though she tried not to show it. No need to boost the man's ego, after all.

"So I'm working in here today?," she asked instead. "For the time being, at least," replied the General easily. "I don't have any meetings scheduled in here right now, and there's a lot more space to spread notes and such in here than in Daniel's office," he added. Mia had to smile at that. Yes, it would definitely be more comfortable working in here than in Daniel's tiny, cramped and completely chaotic workspace. How the archaeologist himself ever managed to get anything done in there was anyone's guess. Gratefully, Mia took a seat at the long table, randomly choosing a report to read, and got straight to work.

Eyeing her contemplatively a moment, the General decided he had been dismissed, and returned to his office, shaking his head. '_Just like Sam_,' he thought. '_Give her a new project, and she starts to work before you even leave the room_. _Kinda makes one wonder if she got anything from me?_'


	24. Chapter 24

Teal'c emerged in a deserted gateroom on Earth, immediately collapsing onto the hard metal ramp leading away from the Stargate. There was an eerie silence in the dimly lit, grey room. Where were the SFs with their weapons at the ready, preparing to fight the unauthorised entry through their Stargate? Where were the control room technicians, gazing down at the gate through their heightened and plate-glass protected perch? Nothing was as it should be.

Teal'c's mind reeled with the possibilities. This room should be crowded with people. It was not. Had the Tau'ri Stargate program been discontinued? If so, why was the iris not in place to protect the planet against invasion? Teal'c slowly raised himself to a sitting position, weak and fatigued. His vision blurred slightly, but cleared again quickly. Everything was as he recalled, the only notable exception being the mysterious disappearance of the SGC personnel. The gateroom was pristine, not a trace of dust or debris to support the theory that the Stargate program had been shut down at some point since his departure for Dakara.

How long ago had that been? Teal'c could no longer remember, nor was he sure when he had last heard from any of his friends at the SGC. Heart pounding in his chest, Teal'c forced himself unsteadily to his feet, stumbling towards the doors leading from the gateroom to the rest of the complex. Surely he would find someone on base to answer some of his questions.

Walking down the long, concrete halls was a slow and painful process. Teal'c pressed his hand gently against the rough wall to his right, using it to steady himself as he tottered onwards, searching for any signs of habitation. The unnatural silence pervaded throughout the once active base. Teal'c could not understand how this could be. Why had his friends not told him the program was to be shut down? More importantly, where were they now?

Hours passed in agonizing silence as Teal'c carefully searched every hall, every room on base for some evidence of human activity, or at the very least, the reason for the desertion. It could not have been long since the base had been abandoned. All the furniture, desks, chairs, beds, and lockers, was as it should be, as orderly and functional as it had been all the years Teal'c himself had spent on base. Nothing was out of place. Surely the SGC would have been cleared of everything of value had the program been terminated. There was something very wrong here. Teal'c hurriedly made his way towards the surface, preparing for the worst.

There were no guards patrolling the main entrance. As a top-secret military complex, there should have been guards whether there was anyone else on base or not. A deep sense of foreboding stole over the old Jaffa, making his skin crawl at the implications of his findings. What had happened to the Tau'ri? Had there been an attack?

In the fading light of day, Teal'c could find no evidence supporting such an hypothesis anywhere around the exterior of the complex. There were no blast marks, no damage of any kind. The entire mountainside was completely unscathed. Yet there were no people anywhere around, which simply did not fit with what Teal'c knew of his Tau'ri friends.

Finding an abandoned Jeep, Teal'c climbed unsteadily inside, grateful even through his mounting unease to be comfortably seated for a time. Starting the engine, he quickly pulled away from the former SGC, winding his way down the darkening mountainside towards town. If no one was to be found on base, then he would have to search elsewhere. Speeding up, Teal'c raced towards the home of his closest friend, and the last known commander of Stargate Command. If anyone would know what was going on, he was certain it would be General Jack O'Neill.

Turning sharply into his friend's driveway, he brought the vehicle to an abrupt halt, barely taking the time to stop the engine before he jumped out of the Jeep and ran awkwardly towards the front door. It had by no means escaped his notice that there had been no other vehicles on any of the roads between CheyenneMountain and the General's home. Nor was he unaware that the homes he had passed had all be dark and lifeless in the growing gloom of night. Pounding on the door, he waited impatiently on the step, contemplating whether he should just break in and search the house, or search the property first for clues.

Unsurprisingly, no one came to the door. Teal'c began searching the property, the fading light dramatically hindering his ability to do so effectively. Admitting at least partial defeat, he moved on to the house, breaking the door in with a few blunt strikes of his foot and shoulder. Switching on the lights, he found the house in much the same state as the base: precisely as he remembered, only with no one in sight. Panic rising, Teal'c quickly pushed his weak and aching body back outside, climbing stiffly into the Jeep and racing towards Colonel Carter's home.

As with O'Neill's home, Colonel Carter's house was completely deserted. There was no evidence of a hasty withdrawal, or any sort of struggle, however, the house, the whole neighbourhood in fact, seemed to be entirely lifeless. He moved on, driving across town to the home of Daniel Jackson. Again, everything was as it should be, except for the conspicuous absence of Doctor Daniel Jackson himself. As a matter of fact, all of Colorado Springs seemed to have been abandoned. There were no lights on in any of the homes, no vehicles driving along the roads. Teal'c had never felt more unsettled, nor more alone, in his entire life. He had come to the Tau'ri for help, and instead, it appeared that they may need his help even more.

Climbing back into the Jeep, Teal'c left the deserted home of his friend in favour of finding a newsstand. He needed to know what had transpired on this planet, and he needed to know right away.


	25. Chapter 25

Everything was white. Pure, blinding white. Daniel had no idea what had just happened. One minute he had been hurtling through the Stargate, the next, he was engulfed in white. What puzzled him most though was that he couldn't have just died; he was already dead. Plus he was still completely self-aware, although temporarily unsure of where his 'self' might be. If his surroundings could be described as the epitome of nothingness, than so too could his form. He was gone. No light, no energy, no shape whatsoever. Just a free-floating awareness, with nothing around worth noting. It was more than a trifle disconcerting. He had been on the brink of disunity, having cast his senses too wide. Yet should that result in this absolute sense of nothingness? Or if it did, should he be _aware _of that nothingness? Nothing about this situation seemed quite right.

Daniel tried to search the white nothingness around him, but ended in vain. His awareness seemed fixed in place, unable to look around, to examine the nothingness surrounding him. If this was the end, it was not what he had expected. He couldn't even begin to imagine the horror of spending an eternity trapped fully aware in a completely barren landscape such as this. The frustration and tedium were already gnawing at him. There had to be more. There had to be some explanation for this.

Daniel focused on his 'memories', the knowledge of the Ancients gained during Ascension. There must be something in there that could help with this, or at the very least account for what was happening to him now. This had definitely not been part of the Oma Desala brochure for achieving enlightenment and 'life' everlasting. Daniel wracked his brain, or more precisely, whatever passed for his brain at present. There were untold amounts of information stored deep within his mind which would need to be dredged back to the surface in order to process and understand on a conscious level, although this, at least, was somewhat more interesting than seeking answers from his dismally bland surroundings. Throwing himself into the painstakingly introspective task, Daniel quickly lost track of all sense of self, suffering, or time. Weeks could have passed and he would have never known.

* * *

_SG-1 Defeated on P7X-294_, read the newspaper headline. Teal'c blinked in surprise, one eyebrow launching itself higher than the other as he read the words a second time. Something twinged deep within his memory, but it was gone again before he could fully grasp it. Reading the words a third time, his mind began to race with even more questions. Had this defeat been the cause of the Tau'ri disappearance? And if that was the case, then why was a public newspaper reporting it? For that matter, who had been left to write the article, much less read it? Teal'c eyes skimmed hurriedly over the article, seemingly unable to make sense of any of the text. He tried again, this time concentrating more intently on gathering information. Still, the words swam before his eyes, refusing to coalesce into meaningful information. Teal'c tried again and again, desperately trying to make sense of what was right before him. Finally, he threw the newspaper down, and made his way quickly back to the Jeep. He needed to remember.

Driving as fast as he could back the way he had come, he raced back to Daniel Jackson's apartment, taking two stairs at a time once he was inside. Stopping at last in Daniel's living room, he searched hurriedly for the candles he knew were in there somewhere. Setting them up and drawing the blinds, Teal'c took his place on the floor, letting his mind drift in the familiar process of Kel-no-reem. Since losing his symbiote, he had had little need to Kel-no-reem daily as he once had, but Teal'c had found that the best way to remember something forgotten was to undergo the ancient practice of meditation. Sure enough, within minutes he was finding images, memories, of the planet designated P7X-294. He saw the ruins by the gate, and the dense forest all around. The faces of his friends, Colonel Samantha Carter and Doctor Daniel Jackson, swam before him, each one engrossed in a separate task. The mission had been to locate the source of some anomalous energy readings. They had gone into the forest, a long and difficult trek, searching.

The images stuttered. Teal'c conscious mind fought to re-assert itself, trying to reconcile his memories with the headline he had read. This mission had taken place before he had left for Dakara. It could not have been responsible for the depopulation of Earth. He re-focused his mind, allowing himself to drift deeper into his meditative state.

Again, he was shown the ruins, his friends, and the forest. The mission had taken place over several days. There was much walking, and little talking among the friends. It was to be their last mission together. Colonel Carter had accepted a position at Area 51. He, Teal'c, was preparing to leave for Dakara. Even Daniel Jackson had been unusually silent. They had made camp on their third day there near an outcropping of rock. Their mission had been unsuccessful. They would be heading back towards the Stargate the next morning.

Once again, the memories faltered. Teal'c saw a blurred and confused image of the trio returning through the Stargate, but it didn't seem to fit. He pushed his mind past the distorted memory and let it linger on the last clear image he had, sitting around a camp fire with Colonel Carter and Daniel Jackson. They had been arguing. Colonel Carter had stood, moving closer to the outcrop, preparing to take a sample. And then...

Teal'c's memories shifted and blurred, once again showing him the distorted image of SG-1 returning safely to the Stargate. Discarding the image within his own mind, he returned to the memory of the argument and Colonel Carter's sample. She had chiselled a small sample of stone into a sample-container to return to the SGC, in an attempt to settle once and for all her disagreement with Daniel Jackson. However, at that precise moment, Teal'c had sensed something amiss. Rising as well, he had put himself on full-alert, preparing for an attack. The others had followed suite.

Teal'c convulsed suddenly, slipping from his Kel-no-reem into the reality of Daniel Jackson's empty apartment. His awareness was fading quickly, bombarded with images from his time with SG-1, his son and life on Dakara, and the mission to P7X-294. A white haze engulfed him, and his last conscious thought was that he needed to survive long enough to learn the fate of his friends.


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: To Kalinysta - Thank you for your reviews! Regarding your scientific observation in chapter 9, I gave Mia blue eyes under the assumption that Jack could still carry the recessive gene from, say, his mother, and pass it on, even though he himself displays the dominant brown-eyed gene. That being said, I haven't studied genetics since the 10th grade, so I appologize if this is horribly innaccurate!

To everyone still reading and reviewing: Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love hearing your feedback, and I'm so glad people are enjoying the story! Now, without further ado...

* * *

The klaxons were blaring obnoxiously throughout the base, startling Mia from her work and sending the General rushing from his office as Walter Harriman's voice announced "Unscheduled off world activation," over the base's loudspeakers.

"We're receiving the Langaran IDC, Sir," added Walter, as General O'Neill made his way into the control room.

"Open the iris," he commanded. Down in the gateroom, the iris unfurled from its position across the event horizon, revealing the shimmering blue of an active wormhole.

"Stargate Command, this is Jonas Quinn responding to your earlier message," said the young scholar's voice as it crackled over the grainy radio frequency.

"Jonas, it's good to hear from you again," replied O'Neill gaily. "Are you up for a little jaunt back to Earth? We have a puzzle for you."

"I'd love to come, General. How soon do you need me?"

"Is now okay?"

A brief silence followed O'Neill's flippant question as Jonas likely consulted with someone else on his end of the wormhole. O'Neill fidgeted where he stood, impatient as always to have a plan of action underway. "That shouldn't be a problem, General," replied Jonas. "My schedule can be cleared for the day."

"Excellent," replied O'Neill, doing a somewhat dubious Mr. Burns impersonation. Again, silence followed, and moments later, Jonas Quinn stepped through the Stargate, grinning from ear to ear as his feet touched the metal platform leading into the rest of the SGC.

* * *

"Mia, there's someone here I'd like you to meet," said General O'Neill, interrupting her work once again. She glanced up sharply, mildly annoyed with the General, and then remembered their conversation regarding an alien linguist who might be able to help. Rising to her feet, she held out her hand as Daniel had taught her, saying "You must be Jonas. It's very nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," replied the dimpled man, grinning widely at her. "Mia, is it?"

"I'll just leave you two to the introductions," said O'Neill awkwardly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other before turning quickly for his office. "You kids play nice," he added over his shoulder, facing them again from his doorway. "I'd hate to have to separate you." Smirking, he shut the door quickly, leaving them to work. Mia rolled her eyes.

"So, what are we working on here?," asked Jonas curiously, studying the notes and files now strewn over the full length of the briefing room table. Mia quickly filled him in on the situation with SG-1 and General O'Neill's hunch that the text found by SG-12 and omitted from the briefing could possibly make the difference between success and failure for the flagship team.

"I've identified the language as belonging to the Furlings," she continued, "but I can't seem to translate this dialect with the information we have on base." Jonas sat down, pouring over her notes with a speed and intensity she had never before seen. As he read, his brow furrowed in puzzlement. He reread her notes, occasionally referencing the images taken by SG-12 on their last mission.

"This is really strange," he said at last, still frowning at the documents spread out before him.

"That's what I thought too," said Mia. "I've never seen a dialect vary so greatly from the original." Jonas nodded thoughtfully, adding, "There could be a time factor involved. The evolution of a language can be fairly drastic at times, especially when you're looking at it over hundreds or even thousands of years."

"Does this help us?," Mia asked hopefully.

"Not really," sighed Jonas, his face suddenly breaking out into his wide, happy grin again. "But that's half the fun." Eyeing him sceptically, Mia sank down into the chair next to him, bracing herself for a very long day of translations.


	27. Chapter 27

Nothing. Daniel couldn't find anything that would account for any of what was happening to him in his Ancient memories. He had checked through them twice now, just to be sure. Grumbling to himself, he began dredging through his own memories, pre-ascension, for something that might prove useful. He began with something simple: the circumstances of the death that ultimately led to this heightened state of being. Only he couldn't quite pinpoint it. He remembered the accident on Kelowna resulting in his first ascension, but he could also clearly remember finding himself back in human form, re-joining SG-1 in the battle against the Goua'ld. Daniel also remembered his death at the hands of the human-form replicators and his subsequent ascension at that time, but again, had vivid memories of returning to Earth in his original form to re-join SG-1. So how had this third ascension taken place? And without Oma Desala's help, no less? He certainly hadn't made any other lasting friendships among the ascended Ancients; it was doubtful any of them would have helped him ascend a third time, particularly given his track record for returning to his original corporeal form. And the human race hadn't exactly evolved to the point of ascending on their own. Concentrating in earnest now, Daniel tried to remember the circumstances of his death. Nothing came to mind.

Was this somehow not real, he wondered to himself, wracking his brain for the last thing he could remember. An image of SG-1 sitting around a camp fire flitted through his mind. Well, that was a start, at least, he conceded, replaying the brief image. He and Sam were arguing over something, something to do with the planet they were on. Daniel concentrated harder, trying to remember details from the argument. They had just spent three days hiking through dense bush, looking for an energy source. Teal'c had asked if it was possible for the planet itself to be the source; Sam didn't believe it was likely enough to consider, but Daniel had got to thinking she may be wrong. The argument had been over the possibility presented by Teal'c. Sam had moved away from the fire to take some rock samples, determined to end the argument one way or the other. And then they had been on the defensive, alerted to an oncoming threat by Teal'c, who had wisely abstained from joining in on the scientific debate. The very last thing he could remember was falling through a thick white haze, and waking up as an ascended being.

The real question now was, had the haze killed them all, somehow propelling him back to an ascended state, or was everything he had experienced since being ensconced in that murky fog all an illusion? Either way, he needed to get out of this limbo and find Teal'c and Sam. Together, he was certain they could figure this out. Pooling every ounce of strength he had left, he focused on the memory of his two lost friends, willing himself to be drawn towards them, wherever they may be.

* * *

As the densely opaque haze of P7X-294 engulfed Teal'c once more, he had the strangest sensation of being pulled from his own convulsing body. He couldn't see, hear, or feel anything other than an abiding sense of displacement as he was torn away from the pain, fear and confusion he had known just moments before. Raised from the physical world, Teal'c soon became aware of a new sensation, a coalescing of energy, as if he was being drawn back into himself, his form, as he had always known it. Yet before the process had the chance to succeed, he felt himself shift again with a sickening twist and pull, drawing him towards something, someone, impossibly far away.

* * *

Daniel could feel himself drawing inwards, his displaced energy beginning to return to its source. And he was moving again, fast, only this time, without any conscious thought on his part. He blurred in and out of awareness, unsure for how long he travelled, or where he was being drawn. The blinding whiteness that had surrounded him for so long now was shifting, the subtle hint of new hues joining together and swirling through the nothingness. Daniel sped along, as if pulled by an impossibly strong force. Hazy, distorted images flitted in and out of existence all around him, dazzling his unfocused vision with flashes of sharp colour and contour before disappearing again. At times he felt he could almost recognize some of the shapes and patterns, but then they'd be gone again, and he could never be quite sure.

Faster and faster he sped, only now he wasn't sure if his ascended form was re-coalescing, or if he was slowly being turned inside out. The discomfort was unimaginable as he tore through what he imagined to be time and space, dragged towards the unknown force leading him back from the edge of oblivion.

* * *

Vague shapes and impressions whizzed past Teal'c as he sped along, incoherent to his still-confused mind. His speed seemed to be increasing exponentially as he travelled, tearing at him as his vision blurred sickeningly. And then, with the force of a Goaul'd mothership bursting into hyperspace, he felt himself collide with another entity before dropping impossibly far below, losing consciousness long before reaching the bottom.

* * *

Waking again sometime later, Teal'c found himself sprawled uncomfortably across a hard stone floor, dimly lit grey walls towering around him, tapering into a heavy domed ceiling several dozen feet above his head. The cavern was immense, carved roughly from moss and lichen covered grey stone, lit at regular intervals by small, muted blue lights set along the upper reaches of the curved walls.

Propping himself up on his elbows, Teal'c was relieved to see anther form sprawled at his feet. Daniel Jackson groaned, raising his head stiffly to gaze blearily at their new surroundings. Spotting Teal'c, he blinked rapidly several times, as if to make certain his friend was not simply a trick of his eyes.

"It is I, Daniel Jackson," said the Jaffa reassuringly, pushing himself up into a seated position. Daniel groaned again, pushing himself unsteadily up off the ground to join his friend sitting. "What happened?," he asked hoarsely, removing his glasses to rub his eyes.

"I believe we are still on the planet designated P7X-294," he replied, allowing his eyes to rove over the cavern once more. There were no discernible exits from their current position, nor was there any indication of how they had come to be in this place.

"Okay," said Daniel groggily, taking in their surroundings as well. "If we're still on the planet, where's Sam?".


	28. Chapter 28

Sam woke up as warm and comfortable as she could ever remember having been in her entire life. Sighing contentedly, she rolled onto her back, smiling as she caught sight of the tousle-haired man sleeping beside her. Snuggling in closer, she draped one arm lazily across his bare chest, nuzzling her head into his strong shoulder. Sam closed her eyes, enjoying his warmth and the gentle rhythm of his breathing. His warm, clean scent infused her nostrils, and she inhaled deeply, greedily, drawing herself even closer against his exposed skin. Without waking, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, securing her firmly to his side. Smiling again, Sam allowed herself to drift back to sleep, glad she had nowhere else to be that day.

Sam was jolted awake again mere moments later by the sound of pattering feet and a tiny voice drawing ever closer shouting out, "Mommy! Daddy! I'm up!". Preparing to rise for the day, her husband suddenly drew her back down, nuzzling her cheek and ear as he said gently, "I'll get her. You stay here and rest." Then he kissed her head, disentangling himself from their earlier embrace to greet the owner of the small voice now standing in their doorway, preparing to launch herself at their queen sized bed.

"Hold on there, you!," said Jack, scooping the giggling little girl into his strong arms for an enormous bear hug. "We're going to let Mommy sleep a bit today, okay?". "Okay!," squealed the little girl, squirming to get down. Shooting Sam an apologetic grin, Jack ushered their daughter from the room, bribing her with Froot Loops for breakfast if she could be quiet on the way downstairs. Sam grinned at the two of them as they retreated down the hall, impossibly grateful for everything life had given her in the past few years. It seemed like an eternity ago that she and Jack had been unable to so much as voice their feelings for one another without risking severe reprimand, if not severance from the military. Yet here they were now, happily married with a beautiful little girl, and another baby on the way. Smiling gently, Sam moved her hands to rest lightly on the growing mound of her belly, feeling the baby nudge softly against the sudden warmth hovering around it.

Her only real complaint was how weary this second pregnancy was making her. She felt more than a little guilty for missing so many family activities on account of needing extra rest, though to be fair, Jack and Mia were great about the whole situation. They wanted the new baby to be safe and healthy as much as she did, so they let her rest as much as she needed. Sam sighed, closing her eyes again as her mind drifted in and out of sleep. Starting a family would have been much simpler ten years ago, but again, she couldn't complain. Ten years ago she wouldn't have been with Jack, and she shuddered lightly to think of the man she almost married back then. No, exhaustion and all, this was better. She fell asleep again listening to Jack and Mia bang around in the kitchen looking for their preferred breakfast food, a smile still on her face.

* * *

When Sam woke again an hour or so later, she felt even weaker than she had before. Sighing, she shifted her weight, gingerly rolling out of bed and padding sluggishly across the bare floor to the door. This pregnancy was definitely taking its toll on her; it would probably have to be her last. Sighing again, she rested one hand affectionately against her growing child, slowly making her way down the stairs for breakfast. The house was oddly quiet as she entered the kitchen, but a quick glance through the back window had her smiling again. Jack and Mia were out in the yard playing airplane, Jack running around the yard with Mia braced up over his head, squealing and laughing in delight. Sam leaned her head gingerly against the windowsill, taking in the sight of her fun-loving family. For all Jack claimed to be too old and infirm to do half the things he'd like to do, she couldn't help but marvel at how limber he seemed playing with their little girl. With their daughter, he may as well have been twenty years younger than he actually was, though he'd probably pay for it later on. She smiled again to herself. No matter what anyone might say, this was worth everything they had been through together, including the heart-wrenching years of patience to finally come to this point.

Pushing herself away from the window, Sam perched on one of the bar stools lining the kitchen counter, pouring herself a bowl of the Froot Loops Jack had left out. Munching half-heartedly on the sugary cereal, Sam let her tired mind wander back to the days of SG-1. In all her years of service, she had never been so close to any three people as she had been to Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c. The four of them together had faced insurmountable odds time and time again, and had always gone back for more. The SGC was full of the best and brightest Earth had to offer, yet somehow, they had all always felt as if the fate of the galaxy depended on them and their efforts. They had held themselves accountable for anything and everything that went wrong out there, and fought body and soul to give the entire galaxy the same security and freedom that still eluded the planet Earth as a whole. Sam shook her head, marvelling at the life she had once led. Not that she would change any of it; it simply wasn't what she would choose now that she had something closer to home worth fighting for.

Sam's mind wandered over the final battles to overthrow the Goua'ld, sorrowfully lingering over her father's dying days in the SGC infirmary and the dissolution of SG-1 shortly thereafter. That had been the real turning point in her life, when new possibilities had at last opened themselves to her. She could remember clear as day standing in Jack's office, nervously asking if he'd like to go out with her sometime, as if he had ever given her true cause to believe his feelings for her had altered over the years. She grinned at the memory, the look of surprise on his face and his casual response affirming his desire to spend time with her outside of work.

But here, Sam's memory faltered. What had happened on that first date, she mused to herself, concentrating to remember. Nothing came to mind. Sam flushed, embarrassed that she couldn't remember the event that had set this new life of hers in motion. She tried other memories instead, more important memories, such as their wedding day, and Mia's birth. Again, nothing. Sam's pulse quickened as she began to panic. Why couldn't she remember her life with Jack? Everything leading up to it was crystal clear in her mind, yet she had no true memory of Mia or Jack as they were now before that very day. Her head reeled sickeningly, and she lurched in her seat, bracing herself against the smooth surface of the countertop. Something was wrong with her.

Stumbling to her feet, Sam tottered unsteadily over to the back door, bracing herself against the door frame as she called out, "Jack! I need to see a doctor, right now!".

* * *

A/N: I should probably warn you that we're fast approaching the end of this tale, which is still in the making... I sincerely appologize for any delays for new chapter posts over the next few days. I will do my best to keep them to a minimum as I continue to write.


	29. Chapter 29

The morning eventually wore into afternoon as Mia sat hunched over documents and translation keys, struggling to decipher her section of the Furling text. Beside her, Jonas reviewed everything they had at breakneck speed, then began scribbling words and phrases over every scrap of note paper they had available, trying to work out his half of the text. They had decided to divide it up to work out as many of the individual words as possible before having to move on to the grammar to decipher the rest. It was slow going, to say the least, and not much was said as they each focused intently on the puzzle at hand.

At last, the silence was broken by General O'Neill barging into the room saying, "O-kay, kids! I have a briefing scheduled for 14:00 hours, which is precisely three minutes from now. Get your gear packed up and head to the mess for some lunch."

"Ugh," Mia groaned, scooping up her share of the papers.

"Leave those in my office," said the General, nodding to Mia's armload. At her quizzical look, he added, "You need a break. It'll all still be here when you get back."

Mia rolled her eyes, but handed O'Neill the papers nonetheless before following Jonas from the room.

"So how are you making out?," asked Jonas conversationally as they strolled along the hall. Mia groaned again, rubbing her eyes. "Not so great," she replied sincerely. "And I can't help but think that if Daniel were here, he'd have the whole thing figured out by now." Jonas grinned. "Dr. Jackson is an amazing scholar," he replied earnestly.

"General O'Neill seems to think so of you, too," she replied in turn. "How are you faring?". Jonas' grin widened. "I think I just about have my section of text worked out. I'd be happy to show you what I've come up with so far when we get back, maybe give you some pointers..." Mia grinned wanly. "Just tell me we'll be done soon, and I'll be happy."

"Okay, then," he said cheerfully. "We'll be done soon." Mia shook her head at him, giving him a half-smile. "I'll believe it when I see it," she replied at last.

"Oh, come on!," he said, nudging her arm. "This is fun! Besides, isn't this why you joined the Stargate program?" Mia's eyebrows shot up in surprise and she stopped dead in her tracks, the SF behind her stepping painfully on her heel as she did so. She winced, choosing her next words carefully.

"I haven't joined the Stargate program," she responded slowly, watching for his reaction. His smile dropped a little as he studied her, clearly waiting for her to say something more. "Didn't General O'Neill tell you anything about who you'd be working with?," she asked, genuinely taken aback.

"Not really," said Jonas slowly. "I just assumed you were another linguist..."

"I am and I'm not," replied Mia obscurely, shaking her head. "I have fifteen years worth of Daniel's teachings crammed into my head, which is why the General asked me to help, but translating an ancient dialects of an alien language I've never seen before is more than a little outside my comfort zone. I'd be much better off translating Goaul'd or Ancient than some obscure Furling dialect," she explained, waving her hands in mild frustration.

"Okay, I'm a little confused here," he said. "How are you not a linguist?"

Mia considered the question carefully. "It's not what I would have chosen, given the chance. So even though I'm fluent in nearly as many languages as Daniel himself, it isn't quite as much fun for me as it seems to be for you," she replied at last. Jonas studied her thoughtfully, obviously still confused. Mia sighed. "You spent some time with SG-1, right?," she asked.

"I was a member of their team for a year after Dr. Jackson ascended," he affirmed, nodding.

"Then you know about the unusual circumstances they sometimes find themselves in," she stated. Jonas nodded again. "Well, let's just say I'm the product of one of those unusual circumstances," she continued. "And Daniel taught me what he thought I would need to know to set things right again." Mia watched as Jonas' expression changed from one of mild confusion to deep intrigue as he tried to work out what she had really just said. She bit her lip, hoping he'd catch on without too much more prodding and then drop the subject. If the General hadn't told him anything, there could be a reason, and she did not want to be the one to breach base security by saying something she wasn't supposed to...

Jonas studied her quietly for a moment, lost in thought. Watching him in return, Mia caught the flash of understanding in his eyes the moment he grasped the truth. Finally Jonas shook his head, as if to clear away some errant thought, and met her gaze before asking, "So if this isn't really your thing, why did you agree to help the General?" Mia paused, taken aback by the question. She had seen recognition dawn in his eyes. Shouldn't the answer be obvious? "Linguist or not, I have the skills he needed," she replied cautiously, "and there was no one else available."

Nodding slowly, Jonas accepted her explanation and motioned for them to continue on towards the commissary for lunch. Mia followed gratefully, silently acknowledging the truth that if SG-1 were in trouble, she had to help.


	30. Chapter 30

Daniel and Teal'c did a sweep of the chamber, searching for any indication of how they had arrived there, or for any sign of Sam. Not seeing anything on their first pass, they decided to take a second, scouring the space for even the tiniest clue as to what was going on, or who had built the space in the first place. It seemed apparent that someone had, in fact, gone to some trouble to chisel the cavern out of the native stone, however, apart from the room itself, with it's strange blue lights, there were no other signs of the civilization which had created it. Even still, Daniel was more than a little intrigued by this new evidence supporting his theory that the planet had not always been deserted, and that the power source they had been sent to investigate was likely the creation of a highly advanced civilization.

"Whoever built this place must have had access to some sort of ring or beaming technology," Daniel mused aloud. Teal'c cocked an eyebrow, remaining silent. "I mean, it's obviously not a natural formation, but there are no doors or tunnels leading in or out. I wonder how they removed the stone during the construction process..."

"Could they not have used something similar to the Tok'ra crystals to form this chamber?," Teal'c inquired solemnly.

"I suppose..." Daniel trailed, running a hand along the rough, overgrown walls. "It seems more natural though. I mean, look at this moss. I've never seen anything organic growing along the Tok'ra tunnels, have you?"

"Indeed I have not. I have never before encountered anything of this nature."

Daniel paced the floor, back and forth from one end of the cavern to the other. His eyes stayed glued to the ground the entire time. "What is it that you seek, Daniel Jackson?," Teal'c asked at last. "Hmm," he replied absently, pausing where he stood to look at Teal'c. "Oh, I was just thinking that there must be some sort of activation switch for the entrance to this place, like the ring platform, or something," Daniel explained. Silently, Teal'c joined his friend's search, both coming up empty at the end.

"That's odd," said Daniel, frowning.

"Perhaps the activation requires a certain genetic sequence, as with the Ancient technology," Teal'c supplied. "Well, that wouldn't be good," responded Daniel, his frown deepening. "Indeed not," said Teal'c.

"What do you remember about getting here?," Daniel asked suddenly, rocking back on his heels. Teal'c cocked an eyebrow, stating "It was a most uncomfortable experience, Daniel Jackson. It was as if I travelled amongst the stars without the aid of a ship. There was disorientation and pain. When I awoke once again, I was in this place, as were you."

Daniel had been nodding thoughtfully throughout, comparing Teal'c's experience to his own. "I experienced something similar, only I was definitely focused on finding you and Sam at the time."

Teal'c inclined his head, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Indeed. I, too, was intent on locating the remainder of SG-1."

"Okay," said Daniel, thinking out loud once again. So whatever this really is," he said, gesturing around them, "we seem to retain the ability to manipulate our individual experiences to some extent, like with lucid dreaming. And when you and I tried reaching out to the rest of SG-1 at the same time, we were pulled in to a shared scenario."

"So it would seem," responded Teal'c.

"Okay, then," said Daniel, perking up. "So then all we should need to do to find Sam is to focus on finding her, and nothing else." Teal'c raised an eyebrow dubiously, and Daniel shrugged. "It's worth a try, at least," he replied. "Indeed," said Teal'c, resigning himself to the situation at hand.

Settling themselves on the hard stone floor, they each began to focus in on thoughts and memories of Sam, trying to close the distance that still lay between them and the final member of SG-1.


	31. Chapter 31

"So what do you have for me?," General O'Neill asked at the end of the day.

Mia looked to Jonas who replied, "Well, from what we've translated so far, the text seems to deal with some unwanted visitors to the planet. See," he said, holding up one of the images taken by SG-12, "this first part says something along the lines of '_those who came not in peace_ _have paid the price'_. And this second part, down here," he added, pointing to the section in question, "seems to say '_we are made whole again by their sacrifice'._"

"See, I'm not really liking the sounds of that," said O'Neill, squinting at the pair. "Is there much left to translate?"

Mia shook her head no. "It's not so much a matter of there being anything left," she explained quickly, "as it is a matter of accuracy. The text seems to be an extremely archaic form of the Furling language. It hardly bears resemblance to what we have on file at all." Jonas nodded his agreement adding, "We basically worked out the individual words using a corruption algorithm I came up with..."

"Excuse me, a what?," interrupted O'Neill, confused.

"A corruption algorithm. It helps me come up with the probable evolution of little known languages. I developed it while working with your Latin and the Ancient language..." Jonas began to explain before O'Neill cut him off with his customary "Ah!"

"Sorry, General," said Jonas sheepishly. "Basically, we've translated as much of the text as we can, only we've had to resort to using an untried method to do it."

"Okay, that I understood," replied O'Neill. "Good work, both of you," he added, nodding at them. "We'll prep a UAV to send a warning to SG-1, along with a copy of your translation."

"A UAV?," asked Mia, confused. General O'Neill smiled, rocking back on his heels.

"Come on, I'll show you," he replied, motioning for her and Jonas to follow.

* * *

Mia watched in fascination as the UAV was launched through the Stargate, quickly switching her focus over to the monitor indicated by General O'Neill as showing the UAV's telemetry.

"Switch it to video," said O'Neill to the airman seated at the console. "Yes, Sir," came the reply as the image changed from a grainy topographical map to a real-time playback of the plane's flight over P7X-294.

"It's beautiful," breathed Mia, staring in wonder at the lush vegetation skimming by just below the plane's wingtips.

"It's not that different from parts of this planet," replied Jonas, grinning at her. Before Mia had the chance to respond, O'Neill was at the console, trying to raise SG-1 on their radios.

"SG-1, this is Stargate Command. What's your status?," he said. Silence. O'Neill tried again, this time broadcasting on multiple frequencies. Still no response. "Damn," he muttered, turning to the airman on duty. "How far is that thing from their projected coordinates?," he asked.

"A few more minutes, Sir," came the man's confident reply. Tension filled the room as everyone silently watched the plane's progress over the alien mountainside. The minutes dragged by. Finally, the airman announced, "We should be coming up on SG-1's position now, Sir." They all watched with bated breath. Nothing. There was no sign of the flagship team anywhere below the UAV.

"Take it further up the mountain," O'Neill ordered, trying to keep calm. "Yes, Sir," replied the airman, typing in the UAV's new destination.

Again, they waited. The UAV rose to a higher altitude, increasing it's view of the mountainside. A second monitor was repurposed to display heat scans of the planet's surface. Still no sign of SG-1. More time passed, and still, nobody dared say a word as the screens showed nothing more than trees and a couple flocks of small indigenous birds.

"We're coming up on the furthest projected coordinates provided by SG-1, Sir," reported the airman, startling Mia with the abrupt break in silence. Jonas smiled at her reassuringly, before returning his attention to the screens and their monotonous view of the planet's treetops.

"SG-1," said O'Neill from his position at the console. "This is Stargate Command. What's your status?" As before, the lines remained silent.

"Sir, I think I found something," said the airman urgently.

"What is it?," he demanded, turning his full attention on the man.

"Here, in the heat scans," the man said, indicating the area in question. "The readings are faint, but there are three forms down there."

"Can we get a visual on them?," O'Neill asked, indicating the monitor currently displaying a lush assortment of trees.

"I can try, Sir," replied the airman, switching over to manual controls. The UAV did a sweeping arc in the sky over the planet, zeroing in on SG-1's suspected position. Dipping down towards an outcropping of rock, the plane flashed past what had obviously been a recent campsite.

"Wait," barked O'Neill. "Go back, nice and slow..."

"Yes, Sir," replied the airman, adjusting his controls. The plane took another pass of the campsite.

"There," said Jonas, pointing at the display monitor. The airman froze the image on the screen, setting the UAV down for a landing next to the campsite. Sure enough, right where Jonas had indicated, there were three heavily concealed bodies laying prone beneath a dense layer of moss and fresh green tendrils. Mia held her breath.

"They're still emitting heat signatures, Sir," said the airman reassuringly into the heart-stopping silence that followed SG-1's appearance on the screen.

"Get the doctor down here ASAP," O'Neill ordered. "You two, with me," he added, nodding towards Mia and Jonas as he made his way back up the stairs to the briefing room. "We need a plan, now," he added, taking the last few steps two at a time. SG-1 was alive for the moment, and he intended to keep it that way.


	32. Chapter 32

"I told you, you were working too hard," Jack chastised gently, leading Sam into the living room and fluffing the cushions for her to lay down. As she sank into the velvety blue fabric, Mia bounced up beside her, snuggling in close. "Now Mia, you make sure Mommy stays right there, understand?," he said, preparing to leave the room to fetch some supplies. Mia nodded quietly, wrapping her arms tightly around Sam. Sam smiled, softly ruffling the little girl's hair. The doctor had said memory loss was common for people under a lot of stress, and Sam couldn't deny that even though her days were now free from active duty, her scientific experiments still kept her busier than most people would call healthy. Resigning herself to bed-rest until the baby came, Sam let herself relax, cuddling Mia tightly as the little girl traced slow circles around her belly.

Sam wasn't sure at what point she fell asleep again, but when she woke, Mia was gone. Scooting herself up into a seated position, Sam rubbed her bleary eyes, looking around to see what Jack had left for her to eat. Spotting a sandwich on the coffee table beside her, she was about to reach for it when she realized she wasn't entirely alone after all. There, sitting in matching arm chairs across from her, sat Daniel and Teal'c, looking almost as dazed as she felt.

Sam's face lit up. "Hey guys! Have you been sitting there long?"

Daniel blinked, facing Sam. "Uh, no. Not really," he replied, looking at Teal'c for confirmation.

"Indeed," replied the Jaffa, also shaking his daze. "I do not believe we have been here more than a few moments."

"This looks familiar," said Daniel, standing to look around.

"Well, it should," replied Sam with a half-smile, eyeing her friend curiously. "It's my house." Daniels eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Is everything okay with you two?," she asked. "You both seem a little off."

"Yeah, it's been one of those days," said Daniel slowly, taking in his friends very pregnant form. "How are you feeling?," he asked, trying to sound casual.

Sam chuckled. "Tired," she replied. "Really, really tired, actually. I've been put on bed rest until the baby comes," she added, resting a hand gently on her swollen abdomen.

Daniel grinned in spite of himself. "And how are you doing with that?"

"Not too bad so far, though it's only been a couple of hours. I may feel differently tomorrow," she replied.

"Otherwise things are good?," he asked.

"Yeah!," she replied, with an enthusiasm generally reserved for really neat experiments. "Jack and Mia have been wonderful with the whole situation. They're both really excited for the new baby."

_Jack and Mia?_ Daniel stole a glance at Teal'c, who raised an eyebrow in reply, before responding, "That's great, Sam. Um, if you don't mind though, I just need to ask Teal'c a quick question over there," he said, gesturing towards the hallway just off the living room.

"All right," she said, eyeing them both curiously. Daniel smiled reassuringly, leading Teal'c aside while making absolute certain they were well out of earshot of their friend.

"Is it just me," whispered Daniel once they were safely out of sight, "or has Sam not realized this isn't real?"

"Indeed, I believe you are correct, Daniel Jackson," replied Teal'c, a look of concern shadowing his face.

"Well, that's not good," he said, fidgeting as he worked through the situation in his mind.

"Teal'c, what made you realize something wasn't right?."

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly as he responded, "I experienced an inexplicable weakness, Daniel Jackson."

"Yeah, me too," replied Daniel thoughtfully. "I think our problem here is that Sam has provided herself with an explanation for what we've all noticed."

"Then should we not return and tell Colonel Carter what we have learned?," Teal'c asked.

Daniel shook his head no. "I don't think we should just outright tell her that this is an hallucination," he replied. "If what we're experiencing is some sort of manifestation of the subconscious mind, it could make things a lot worse to challenge her perception of reality."

"Then what do you propose we do, Daniel Jackson?," replied Teal'c.

"I think we have to somehow lead her to the same realization we made without telling her that none of this is real."

Just then the front door opened, catching Daniel in the arm. "Hey guys," said Jack casually, moving into the hall. In his hands were huge bags of take-out, which he quickly handed off to Teal'c to set down in the kitchen while he pulled a giggling little girl off his shoulders and set her down on the floor. She scampered away quickly, heading towards the living room where Sam still sat. "Staying for dinner?," he asked, as Daniel's eyes bulged in disbelief, and Teal'c looked quizzically from the bags of take-out, to Daniel, to Jack.

"Oh, yeah," replied Daniel. "I think we're going to be here a while."


	33. Chapter 33

Within minutes the briefing room had filled with people. Besides Mia and Jonas, the new SGC doctor, Carolyn Lam, was present, as were the four members of SG-12, Dr. Bill Lee, and General O'Neill.

"All right," barked O'Neill, moving towards the overhead screen while clicking a button on his controller. "This is the situation." The image of SG-1 laying prone under a thick layer of moss and roots flashed onto the screen. "Any ideas?," he asked, looking around the room. A surprised murmur rose from the assembled group, and Drs. Lee and Lam both stood, moving in for a closer look.

"This is remarkable," said Dr. Lee, studying the thick vegetation encasing the members of SG-1.

"What's remarkable is that they're still alive. For now," replied the General crisply, glaring at the doctor. "Dr. Lam, what do you make of this?," he asked, gesturing to the screen as he turned to face the pretty brunette standing beside Dr. Lee.

"It looks as if the vegetation is actually growing into their skin," she replied, a note of horror creeping into her voice. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"Can they be cut free?," asked O'Neill, cutting to the chase.

"I don't see why not," said Dr. Lam, just as Mia said "No."

"No?," demanded the General, rounding on Mia.

"No," said Mia, shaking her head for emphasis. "If Jonas' translation is correct, those who 'come not in peace' are punished. Hacking at the local vegetation might be seen as an attack."

"Oh for crying out loud," muttered O'Neill. "Are you telling me this planet could be self-aware?," he asked sharply.

"Either that or the indigenous life forms are able to control the planet's natural elements," supplied Jonas, studying the screen.

"Indigenous life forms?," Mia asked incredulously. "The language was Furling, and as far as we know, they haven't been heard from in a millennia or more. It has to be the planet."

"Planets can't think," retorted a member of SG-12. "And we saw nothing on P7X-294 that would indicate otherwise."

O'Neill focused in on SG-12. "While you were there, did you in any way threaten or damage the local plant or wildlife?," he demanded.

"No, Sir. It was a standard recon," replied the team's leader, a brown-haired man in his early forties.

"So there was no reason for the planet or any invisible inhabitants to retaliate against you?," O'Neill asked.

"No, Sir," the man affirmed.

"Then it's possible the text you found was a warning, and SG-1 just walked blind into an alien trap," he summarized crossly. The members of SG-12 looked from one to the other, then back to O'Neill.

"With all due respect, Sir," the team's CO replied calmly, "there was nothing out of the ordinary about that planet, other than the energy readings SG-1 was sent to investigate. It's not as if the plants were watching us, or anything," he said, one of his teammates tittering softly in his seat.

"What's your point, Colonel?," snapped O'Neill, glaring at the man.

"I just can't see this being the result of some sort of conscious alien retaliation," the man replied coolly, his eyes locked firmly on the General's steely glare. "It seems to me more likely that the plants holding them there are simply carnivorous, like the Venus fly-trap, and SG-1 inadvertently stumbled into their lair."

"And that would be better, how, Colonel?," demanded O'Neill, an edge of sarcasm tainting the words.

"It would mean we could cut them free, Sir," responded Dr. Lam.

"I disagree," said Jonas. "The text found by SG-12 would indicate an intelligent presence, General. Mia is right. We can't go in and just cut them out."

"That text could have been left there a thousand years ago," snapped the Colonel. "Besides, we have no way of knowing what those lines actually mean," he added.

" Well, the text says 'Those who came not in peace have paid the price. We are made whole again by their sacrifice.'," replied Mia. "And here we see the planet feeding on SG-1, presumably to use their energy to repair damage they did," she added, pointing to the screen.

"That seems like a bit of a leap to me," shot the Colonel.

"Even so," interrupted O'Neill, silencing the debate. "The fact is, we have a team out there who need our help. Doctor," he said, turning to his head medic, "Do we have anything we could safely hook up to SG-1 to get a proper read on their situation?"

"I can bring equipment to monitor heart rate and brain activity," she confirmed, "although how that will help us get them out of there, I can't be sure," she added.

"Understood," replied the General. "Lee, what about you? Is there any way to get them out without hurting them or any of the plant life?" Lee thought about it a moment.

"I can bring some equipment of my own to run some tests, but without knowing more about the plant life involved, I really can't say for certain," he replied at last. O'Neill nodded.

"SG-12, is there anything else you can remember that might help us here?," he asked.

One of the junior members of the team piped up, saying, "When we found the text, it was shattered across an uneven patch of ground. At the time, I didn't think anything of it, but now, seeing the way SG-1 seems to have sunken into the ground... It may have been a grave marker, Sir."

"Oi," muttered O'Neill, momentarily closing his eyes. "All right," he said. "Doctors Lee and Lam, prepare your equipment and be set to leave on the hour. Jonas, you too. Gather everything you have on the Furling language. I want to be prepared for any surprise encounters we might have." The three scholars each accepted their instructions with a brief nod. "SG-12, gear up. I want you to return to the site where you found that text, and I want you to report _everything_ you see, _without _disturbing anything. You'll be going through on foot. The rest of you," he said, indicating the two scientists and Jonas, "will be riding shotgun with me."

"Shotgun, Sir?," asked Doctor Lam, obviously confused.

"It's a three day hike on foot," replied the General. "We'll be taking the puddle jumper instead. Any other questions?"

"What about me?," asked Mia.

"You'll be staying here," O'Neill said matter-of-factly.

Mia cocked an eyebrow at him. "With all due respect, General," she said, adopting the military address for 'I really think you're wrong,' "I should come too. I have a working knowledge of the Furling language, I have the Ancient gene needed to fly the ship, and I've studied Diplomacy 101 with Daniel. If something goes wrong, you may need me as back-up."

O'Neill glared at her, considering. "You stay in the ship unless needed," he replied at last. "Anything else?" The room was silent. "Good. Dismissed," he barked, sending the occupants of the room scurrying for their gear.


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: Contains spoilers for several episodes from various seasons prior to season 8.

* * *

Sam was drifting to sleep again. Her exhaustion was almost immeasurable as far as Daniel or Teal'c could tell, and they couldn't help but exchange worried looks with one another. She'd hardly stay awake a few minutes at a time before dozing off again, leaving her teammates alone to consider the problem.

Fortunately for them, each time Sam slept, the Jack and Mia hallucinations would disappear, allowing Teal'c and Daniel the opportunity to confer in private. It was Daniel who eventually came up with the idea to use these opportunities to influence Sam's subconscious mind, speaking soothingly to her as she slept, reminding her of previous missions where things had not been as they had seemed.

During one nap, Daniel reminded her of the Gamekeeper from P7J-989, and how they had remained trapped in the stasis pods living a shared dream even after they had caught on to the game and refused to participate.

The next time she dozed off, he replayed their mission to Hathor's home base, where they awoke from cryostasis in what appeared to be a futuristic SGC, believing that the rest of their team members were dead.

Eventually, Teal'c, too, began taking part in the exercise, recalling for her the case of Lieutenant Tyler. Softly, the large warrior had spoken, reminding their friend of their mission to P7S-441, where an alien being had drugged them into believing he was a member of their team in order to protect himself from enemy Jaffa.

Each time she came awake again, Jack and Mia would reappear and the hallucination would continue to play out, pushing Teal'c and Daniel to the sidelines of the happy-family scenario. But each time she fell asleep, they were ready with another anecdote.

Now, watching Sam's breathing slow and the pattern of REM sleep begin again, Daniel began telling her of her last encounter with the human-form replicator Fifth. Painful though it would be, he hoped that by reminding her of her hallucinatory life with Pete Shanahan, she would start to question this picture-perfect life with Jack. He hated himself for doing it, but if any of them were to survive, they'd need Sam's help.

Sam whimpered in her sleep, rolling over on the narrow couch. Her face had grown pale and strained as Daniel spoke, and he grabbed her hand reassuringly as Teal'c moved in closer, seating himself by Sam's head.

"Sam," Daniel whispered. "This is important. We need you to remember the truth. Jack and Mia are both safe, back at the SGC, but you, me and Teal'c are all still trapped on P7X-294. Please remember, Sam. We're counting on you." Sam stirred lightly in her sleep, mumbling something incoherent.

"I believe she is beginning to remember, Daniel Jackson," intoned Teal'c by way of encouragement. Daniel shook his head. "I'm not so sure," he replied, a worried look on his face. "Every time she falls asleep, Jack and Mia disappear, but the baby doesn't," he replied, gesturing at her bulging stomach. "More than that, when she's awake, she can actually feel it moving." Daniel shook his head again. "Even if we're getting through to her on some level, there's a part of her that seems to want this more than anything else. This is what she wants to believe in, Teal'c. And I don't know how to get around that."


	35. Chapter 35

Jack stood in his office, geared up and ready to go. The puddle jumper had been moved into the gateroom and was at that very moment being loaded with everything they may need. Jack reached down and tidied some of the papers, wishing he could make the unsightly mounds just disappear. From just behind him, somebody cleared their throat, saying, "Hello, Jack."

General O'Neill jumped, spinning to greet the voice. "General Hammond," he said, surprised. "I just left a message..."

"I know, son. I hitched a ride over with the Daedalus."

"Ah," he replied, remembering the Asgard beaming technology aboard the new ship. "Well, Sir, we're just about ready to ship out. I was just..." He gestured absently towards his desk, wincing slightly.

"Trying to hide your overdue reports?," Hammond guessed, with a chuckle.

"Something like that, Sir," Jack replied. Hammond smiled fondly, walking from the cluttered office that had once been his. Jack followed, stopping abruptly when Hammond paused at the window overlooking the embarkation room.

"Is that the girl?," he asked, nodding towards Mia. Dressed in BDUs like the rest, with her hair knotted up using thin leather bands, Jack marvelled at how easily General Hammond had picked her out of the growing crowd down in the gateroom. From this angle, she could pass for any number of young air force personnel. "Yes," he replied, watching as Jonas handed her a sheaf of paper to review, smiling that big, goofy grin of his. Mia smiled back, responding, and Jonas chuckled. Jack had to suppress the urge to go down and separate them as Hammond asked, "Have you decided what you're going to do about her?"

Jack sighed. "No, Sir," he replied honestly. Although at the moment, assigning her with an all-female guard seemed like a pretty good idea to him. Following Jack's gaze back to the girl in question, Hammond chuckled. "She seems to have caught our Mr. Quinn's attention."

"He's not the only one," O'Neill replied tightly. "She was on a first-name basis with one of the SFs within two days of her arrival," he explained, much to Hammond's amusement.

"Well, now you know how Jacob Carter felt every time he came to the SGC," laughed Hammond.

"I beg your pardon, Sir?," Jack replied, genuinely taken aback. Hammond chuckled again. "You and Colonel Carter have walked a fine line over the years," Hammond replied simply. "It was more than enough to give any father sleepless nights, myself included." He shook his head ruefully, meeting Jack's gaze.

"Jacob was a very good friend of mine," he continued. "It was his dying wish that I find some way to give Samantha what she wanted most."

"The transfer, Sir?," asked Jack, understanding suddenly dawning. Hammond nodded, more serious than before. "Head of Stargate Research seemed like a suitable alternative to active duty, and it would give you the opening you've been waiting for..."

"I sense a 'but,' Sir," replied Jack, shifting uncomfortably. Hammond nodded. "I'm set to retire next month, son," he drawled, steeling himself for what he would have to say next. "The choice for my replacement was entirely out of my hands."

"Sir?"

"You're at the top of the list, Jack," he confirmed.

Jack closed his eyes, fighting the swell of emotion threatening to overwhelm him. "If I take this promotion..."

"Then it won't matter where she transfers to. Your jurisdiction would cover everything in her area of expertise: the SGC, Atlantis, the X-302 and 303 projects,..."

"And Stargate Research at Area 51," Jack finished numbly. "And if I don't accept..."

"The next name on the list was one Major General Henry Bauer."

"Ugh," groaned Jack, dropping his head to the plate-glass window.

"Nothing has been made official as of yet," said Hammond reassuringly. "Ultimately it's out of my hands, but the least I can do is buy you some time to work things out."

"Sir?"

"Weigh your options, Jack."

"With all due respect, Sir, I wouldn't trust Bauer with the fate of the latrine, much less the planet. I'm not really seeing a whole lot of options here."

Hammond chuckled humourlessly. "Talk to Sam, then. Work something out. And remember, son, with the Goaul'd out of the way now, there shouldn't be as much danger to Earth anymore."

"That is, until something worse comes along to fill the power vacuum they left behind, Sir," Jack replied with a sullen bite to his tone.

General George Hammond had no response to that. He had seen too much in his career to simply brush Jack's concerns aside. Eyeing his brooding friend sympathetically, Hammond at last interrupted the younger man's thoughts, saying gently, "Go bring your team home, son."

"Yes, Sir," replied Jack with more feeling, pushing the weight of their conversation to the back of his mind. There would be time to worry about that later. For now, he had a mission to focus on, and his family to save.

"And Jack?," called Hammond as his friend was about to leave the room.

"Yes, Sir?," he replied cautiously.

"It's not often we're given a second chance. Let her know you care," he said sagely, nodding towards Mia down below.

"Yes, Sir," replied O'Neill, closing the door softly behind him.

* * *

A/N: Sorry if it seems I'm dragging the ending out...I swear it's not intentional, there are just a lot of things I'd like to cover...


	36. Chapter 36

Something was nagging at the back of Mia's mind, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She paced the interior of the small ship, frustrated that she couldn't remember something that might help. Reaching the front of the ship, Mia stopped briefly to watch the slow progress of doctors Lam and Lee through the front view port as they carefully calibrated and tested their equipment before putting it to use on the members of SG-1. Even from this distance, it was disconcerting to see the familiar forms of her family sunken and wrapped in thick vegetation, laying still as death as the rescue team carefully picked their way around them, trying to decide how best to proceed.

From where she stood, she could see General O'Neill securing the perimeter, making sure the site was free from immediate danger as the rest of his team absorbed themselves in their individual pursuits.

"How are you doing in here?," asked Jonas, poking his head in through the open rear hatch. Mia jumped, startled from her observations.

"I feel like there's something I should be doing right now, only I can't seem to remember what it is," she replied, her frustration evident in her tone. Jonas climbed the rest of the way into the ship, saying "There's not really much you and I _can_ do right now."

Mia was about to retort when the radios crackled to life, SG-12 checking in with their progress.

"Connor's hunch was right, Sir," came the crisp voice of the commanding officer. "Sonar readings show a small Jaffa patrol buried just beneath the surface. Judging by the helmet on the one Jaffa, we're looking at some of Ra's men."

Mia and Jonas exchanged a significant look. Ra had been killed nearly a decade ago, but before that he had been among the oldest and most powerful Goaul'd System Lords. That patrol could have been laying there a very, very long time.

"All right, SG-12. Head back to the gate," ordered O'Neill in response. "Tell Hammond if we're not back in twelve hours, he's to permanently lock this gate address out of our dialling system."

"Sir?," came the startled reply.

"Colonel, if we're dealing with a man-eating planet, I want as few of my people here as possible," snapped the General. "Get your team back through that gate and make sure nobody else steps foot on this god-forsaken rock!," he commanded.

"Yes, Sir," crackled the Colonel's sharp reply.

"You know, now that we're actually here, I'm not so sure it is the planet," mused Mia.

"How do you figure?," Jonas asked curiously.

"There's no bait." Jonas shot her a confused look, so she continued her thought, explaining, "On Earth, predatory plants such as the Venus Fly Trap use bait to lure their victims inside. Here, there's no bait."

"So we're back to thinking the Furlings might have something to do with this?," he asked, moving to stand beside her.

Mia frowned. "I wouldn't leap to that conclusion just yet, but I am starting to think that there's something more than meets-the-eye going on here." Jonas nodded thoughtfully, considering the possibilities.

"This ship is Ancient, right?," he asked suddenly, looking around. Mia nodded. "Would there be anything in the database about this planet? I mean if the Ancients were the gatebuilders, and the Furlings were their allies..."

The nagging sensation stopped suddenly as Mia gaped at Jonas. _Of course!, _she thought. Daniel had once told her that he had never found the opportunity to decipher the puddle-jumper's database, either in his timeline or hers, because it involved coordinating with someone possessing the Ancient gene. It was an as-yet unexplored resource, waiting to be tapped. "Jonas, you're a genius!," she said out loud, quickly seating herself at the controls.

Concentrating on planetary information, Mia skimmed through the information provided, searching for P7X-294. Jonas sat down quietly beside her, scanning the information as well. Some time later, they had what they were looking for, and raced excitedly to the rear hatch shouting for General O'Neill to come over to the ship.

* * *

"Wait, what?," asked O'Neill, more confused than ever by the explanation being excitedly launched at him by his two over-eager Daniel substitutes.

Mia sighed, regrouping her thoughts and mustering what patience she had left to explain this yet again. "This planet is very similar to the original Furling homeworld, which was destroyed several millennia ago when their sun went super-nova."

"O-kay..." he said, dragging out the second syllable.

"On their homeworld, the Furlings had a somewhat symbiotic relationship with their natural surroundings," Jonas continued.

"Like the nymphs and dryads of ancient mythology," added Mia by way of illustration.

O'Neill shot them both a sceptical look. "So they danced around the forest naked and made the trees grow?," he asked dubiously. Mia exhaled sharply, growing weary of the General's stubborn refusal to understand, when Jonas intervened again.

"General, according to the ship's records, the Furlings were able to redistribute their own energy, or life-force, into their planet to sustain its dying ecosystem." Mia nodded, adding, "They knew they could only buy so much time with their own planet though, so they went looking for a new homeworld."

"And they found this place?," O'Neill asked, gesturing outside.

"Not right away," replied Jonas. "They colonized several other worlds before finding this one. Only a handful of Furling settlements actually made it this far."

"But unlike their other colonies," said Mia, picking up the tale, "the Furlings were able to share in this planet's energy the way they had on their own homeworld."

"In the end," finished Jonas, "they allowed themselves to be absorbed into the planet's ecosystem, immortalizing themselves within the planet's unique energy field."

"Wait a minute," said O'Neill, catching on. "Are you telling me that the Furlings _themselves_ are part of the strange energy readings picked up by SG-12?"

"Yes," said Mia and Jonas together.

"Okay," he replied slowly. "And how does this help us?"

"If we can find a way to connect to the planet," supplied Mia, "then we may be able to communicate with the Furlings and convince them to release SG-1." Jack groaned. "I think you and I would stand the best chance," she added cautiously, "since we're directly descended from one of their allies."

"There's no 'we' about it," replied O'Neill sharply. "You stay here. Jonas and I will figure out the rest."

Before Mia had the chance to argue, Dr. Lam approached from behind the ship, calling out, "General O'Neill, there's something here I think you'd better see."

O'Neill, who had turned at the sound of his name, glanced quickly back to Mia, who immediately raised her hands in surrender. "I know, I know," she said, sitting back down at the console. "I'm not going anywhere." Nodding in apparent satisfaction, O'Neill turned to leave, Jonas shrugging apologetically before following the General from the ship.

* * *

"What've you got?," asked O'Neill, trailing the doctor back towards his former teammates.

"Neither Teal'c or Dr. Jackson are registering any significant brain activity, _but_," she said, interrupting O'Neill's attempt to respond, "Colonel Carter is registering _four_ separate brain patterns."

"_What_!?," exclaimed O'Neill, quickly closing the distance left between himself and the monitors Dr. Lam had set up around his team.

"One of the patterns actually seems to correspond with the energy readings I'm picking up from these tendrils," said Dr. Lee as they approached, motioning towards the vines latched into the members of SG-1.

"Is it safe to assume the other two patterns belong to Daniel and Teal'c?," O'Neill asked, not quite daring to hope. Dr. Lam nodded. "They're definitely human," she replied.

"Strictly speaking, Teal'c is Jaffa, not human," Dr. Lee corrected. Carolyn Lam rolled her eyes. "The brainwaves are the same," she retorted, leaving no room for argument.

"So how do we fix this?," O'Neill asked tersely, motioning toward the three prone figures on the ground. Drs. Lee and Lam exchanged glances. "We don't know yet, Sir," Dr. Lam replied at last.

"General, I'm with Mia in thinking we should try to communicate with the planet," piped in Jonas as the rest of the group fell silent.

"And how do you propose we do that?," snapped the General. Jonas shrugged helplessly. "You could simply try talking to it," he suggested lamely. O'Neill glared at him. "You want me to talk to the trees?," he asked disbelievingly. "What could it hurt?," said Jonas in response.

"Oi," muttered the General, gazing skywards.


	37. Chapter 37

Mia watched curiously as General O'Neill and Jonas approached the nearest tree, apparently offering it greetings of some sort. She giggled, realizing they had probably decided to try her suggestion to communicate with the planet, and were going about it all wrong. Observing their attempts for a few moments, the two men chatting casually to their tree of choice, Mia burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter, sinking back into her seat to catch her breath. Collecting herself, she depressed the 'talk' button on her radio, saying "That's not quite what I meant, General."

She watched O'Neill grab his own radio, replying, "I know what you meant, Mia. I'm holding that option as a last resort. For the moment, I'd rather see if we can draw these folks out into the open to chat." Mia shook her head.

"It isn't going to work, General," she replied. "They're energy now. They're not just going to appear and strike up negotiations for a hostage release. You need to connect with them on their level."

"You mean I need to let the local plant-life infest my brain," replied O'Neill crisply.

"Yes," said Mia.

"Like I said, we're keeping that option as a last resort," he repeated. Mia huffed, frustrated. "General, you're wasting time they may not have!," she snapped. He winced, visible even from where she sat.

So absorbed was she in her argument with O'Neill, Mia didn't immediately notice the thick white haze creeping in along the floor of the puddle-jumper, nor the bright green shoots silently forcing their way up through the ship's hull. It wasn't until one of the tendrils pierced through the thick military-issue boots she wore, lancing painfully into the sensitive skin on the sole of her foot, that she finally looked down, exclaiming in surprise. Attempting to jump up to the relative safety of the console, Mia underestimated the strength of the vine's hold on her, toppling forward and hitting the floor with a solid 'thunk'. She barely had the chance to register a sense of horror before the white haze engulfed her, and the little green tendrils worked their way in through her skin.

* * *

Jack saw Mia fall, disappearing from sight through the puddle-jumper's main view port. "Mia, report!," he barked into his radio, already running in the direction of the small craft. Empty static crackled back to him in response. He cursed under his breath, pushing himself even faster toward the ship. What he saw when he arrived made his blood run cold, and his soldier's instinct kicked in, calling out orders to everyone in his immediate vicinity.

Lying on the floor of the puddle-jumper, Mia was cocooned in a web of spindly green tendrils, thin trails of scarlet blood trickling from hundreds of entry points all over her body. From where he stood frozen in place, Jack couldn't even be sure whether or not she was still breathing. Seconds later, Doctors Lam and Lee were pushing past him into the tight confines of the ship's interior, equipment at the ready. As they scanned and examined the girl, Jonas came running up behind Jack, stopping just beside him.

"What happened?," Jonas asked, a note of shocked disbelief in his voice.

"I think the planet decided to try a little communication of it's own," replied Dr. Lee, gently prodding the newly grown shoots sprouting through the ship's floor.

Dr. Lam nodded her agreement. "There are definitely two separate brainwave patterns registering here," she replied, checking the device she had quickly attached to Mia mere moments before. "One of them is the same alien pattern we saw with Colonel Carter and the others," she added, crouching down beside the teenager to check the rest of her vitals.

Jack dully registered the doctor's words, noting with some relief that Mia was at least still alive. For now.

"General, are you all right?," asked Jonas, genuinely concerned. Then, to the group as a whole, "This has to be a good sign, right? I mean, at least they're trying to communicate with us now." Nobody said a word as they gazed down on the deathly still form of the teenaged girl.

Jack stood transfixed, watching as the doctors fussed over and examined his young charge. All he had wanted was for her to be safe. For all of them to be safe. Now he felt he was once again faced with the possibility of losing everyone he cared for in one single fell swoop. Moving numbly up the ramp onto the ship, General O'Neill carefully knelt down beside his daughter, gently reaching out to touch her broken skin beneath the rough and wiry shoots growing in a tangled mass around her. Through her.

'_I should have listened_,' he thought despondently to himself.

* * *

Mia found herself alone in an enormous cavern, pale blue lights set high along the walls, dully illuminating the space with their eerie glow. She shivered involuntarily, moving toward the nearest wall to run a hand along the rough and overgrown surface. The air was cool and damp in the cave, though not unpleasantly so, she admitted to herself. At least the military-issued jacket seemed to keep the worst of the chill at bay.

Mia walked to the center of the cavern, holding her shoulders back and her chin high with a confidence she did not entirely feel. Addressing the empty space in the rolling tongue of the Ancients, she called out, "I am a descendent of your one-time allies, the Ancients, and of the humans of Earth. I wish to speak on behalf of my friends." Silence answered her words, and as the moments ticked by she began to wonder what she should do next. Then suddenly a gentle presence reached out, brushing the corner of her awareness, drawing her attention away from the cavern and into the silence of her own mind.

"_We did not expect more to come_," whispered the presence, tickling the edges of Mia's senses as a light breeze might ripple across a pool of water. Mia closed her eyes, carefully focusing on the gentle voice inside her mind.

"Our friends need our help," she replied internally, showing the presence an image of SG-1 trapped beneath the heavy foliage on the planet's surface.

"_The others who came before felt no such loyalty for their fallen_," the presence replied, curiosity tingeing the words.

"You mean Ra's Jaffa?," she asked, trying to summon an image of armoured Jaffa bearing Ra's crest.

"_Yes_," the presence whispered. "_They came long ago, before we had fully become one with the planet_," the voice explained.

"The Goaul'd are conquerors, but are easily deterred," Mia replied, remembering Daniel's stories of Goaul'd System Lords declaring inhospitable planets off limits lest their Jaffa take them there by mistake, inadvertently dooming them to their own mortality. Man-eating plant-life would probably constitute an inhospitable environment to a Goaul'd's self-preserving mind.

"_Yes_," the presence agreed. "_The violators fell, and no others came_."

"The text we found said that they 'came not in peace,'" said Mia. "What was the transgression of our friends, to be sentenced with the same fate?"

The presence stirred restlessly in her mind. "_They took of us_," it replied at last, clearly uncomfortable.

"Is there another way to pay for this crime?," she asked, still uncertain as to the nature of the offence itself.

"_There is not_," replied the presence, a little more firmly.

"So they must die for what they have taken?," Mia asked, trying to understand the presence's reasoning.

"_They must return that which they have stolen_," the presence explained patiently.

Mia frowned internally, struggling to grasp the full implications of the conversation at hand. "May I ask what exactly they stole from you?," she inquired at last, praying for a little clarification.

"_An act of violence was committed on the surface_," the presence replied. "_A piece of ourselves was removed. _ _The resulting wound pains us, even now_."

"You were injured by the theft?"

"_Yes_."

"Is the damage permanent?," she asked, concerned.

"_It can be repaired with sufficient life-force energy_," replied the presence.

"Is that what you're extracting from our friends?," Mia asked, understanding slowly dawning.

"_Yes_."

"Will they survive the process?"

"_It is not likely_," replied the presence mournfully. "_They are very weak, even now_."

"Is there another source of energy we could offer in exchange for the release of our friends?," she asked, suddenly hopeful.

"_There is not_," the presence said. "_Life force taken must be restored in kind_."

"How much more of this life force do you need?," Mia asked cautiously, her mind working overtime to find another solution.

"_More than your friends have left_," replied the presence sadly. "_We do not wish to be the cause of their demise. We have seen within, and understand that there was no malice behind the act. We are a just and peaceful race. However, we must repair the damage, and we no of no other way._"

"What if you had more of our kind to draw on?," she asked. "Would you be able to extract what you need without killing anyone?"

The presence was quiet for a time, and Mia began to wonder if she had offended it. At last it said, "_Yes_."

"How many more would you need?"

"_One more should suffice_," came the satisfied reply.

"Then I volunteer," replied Mia quickly, silently hoping this was the right thing to do.

"_Before we take of you_," cautioned the presence, "_You must warn your friends to return to themselves. They will suffer permanent damaged if they do not withdraw from the female's mind before they disconnect from us._"

The presence's words startled Mia, and she asked, "Can you help me?"

"_Yes_."


	38. Chapter 38

Sam sat on the front steps, Daniel and Teal'c on either side of her. In the yard, Jack twirled Mia round and round, causing the little girl to squeal in delight. Sam persisted in holding on to the hallucinatory reality, and Daniel was beginning to despair of ever changing her mind.

"Do you ever miss it?," he asked abruptly, startling Sam from the glowing joy generally produced by the presence of the counterfeit Jack and Mia.

"Miss what?," she asked.

"The Stargate. The way things were before," he replied, gesturing vaguely. Teal'c raised an eyebrow, but refrained from questioning the new tactic.

"Not really," she replied, shrugging. "I don't regret any of it, but I'd take this over constant danger any day."

Daniel sighed, dropping his head into his hands. There was just no getting through to her.

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c called suddenly, rising to his feet. Daniel looked up, gazing to where Teal'c looked. Walking towards them from down the street, Daniel recognized Mia, the real Mia, quickly approaching. Daniel stood as well, moving to intercept. If anyone could talk some sense into Sam, maybe her own daughter could.

* * *

Dr. Lam's machine flat-lined.

"What's happening?," asked Jonas worriedly, shooting a quick glance over to the General, who still hadn't said a word since stepping aboard the ship.

"I don't know," replied the doctor, re-checking her instruments. "One minute I had two healthy brainwaves registering, the next, nothing."

"Could they have joined the others?," he asked, remembering how Dr. Jackson and Teal'c seemed to be housed inside Colonel Carter's mind.

"There's only one way to find out," she replied, moving quickly towards the rear of the ship, and the rest of her equipment outside.

* * *

Mia could see them gathered outside as she approached, the members of SG-1 clustered tightly together on the front steps leading up to the little white house. She walked faster, trying to decide what she was going to say, when something else caught her eye. There were two other figures with outside, just a little ways away from the steps. Mia came a little closer, thinking they looked familiar somehow. Then she stopped, gasping in surprise.

General Jack O'Neill was swinging his young daughter high into the air, then catching her again as she laughed and shouted for more. Mia gaped wonderingly, taking a few involuntarily steps closer. They both seemed so happy, so carefree... Something twinged deep within Mia's memory. A feeling of weightlessness, and security as she came back down to Earth, back down to the enormous hands waiting to catch her... Closing her eyes, she could feel the heat of the Egyptian sun high above, hear her father laughing below her as he tossed her high into the air. She could feel the warm desert air rushing past her as she was raised above his head, flying all around their home. From the corner of her eye, Mia could see her mom, a softer, curvier version of the Samantha Carter she was beginning to know in this timeline. In all the years since their deaths, she had never been able to recall her parents with such clarity as she did now. A sense of warmth enveloped her, and she opened her eyes again, suddenly feeling much calmer than she had a few moments before.

Carefully filing the memory away for another time, Mia grudgingly turned her attention away from the happy scene, redirecting her steps towards the rest of SG-1 and Daniel in particular, who was coming to greet her.

* * *

Sam had been startled when Teal'c stood, drawing Daniel's attention toward a young woman approaching the house from a distance. But nothing, _nothing_ could have prepared her for the realization that struck her as the woman entered the yard. Her face was older, but unmistakable. Sam rose quickly from her position on the front step, Teal'c grasping her elbow for support as she did. Steadying herself within Teal'c's gentle hold, she stared in confused wonder as Mia paused, watching her younger self play in the yard with Jack.

Something began to nag at the back of Sam's mind. She darted a glance toward Teal'c, who stood immobilized with an expression of calm acceptance on his face, as if it were perfectly normal for an adult version of her daughter to come strolling into the yard. Glancing back toward the second Mia, the nagging intensified.

Sam had a sudden flash of memory, one of the few she still had of her relationship with Jack. Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes, replaying the scene in Jack's office back at the SGC, where she had awkwardly asked her CO if he'd like to have dinner with her sometime. It was a happy memory, filled with anticipation and hope, _but what had made her ask in the first place?_ At the time, she had still been under his command. It was against the rules. So why had she taken the risk?

She opened her eyes again, staring at the grown version of her daughter, as she wracked her brain for answers. Somehow, she knew, it all came back to Mia. She just couldn't figure out how. Mia was her daughter, Jack's daughter. How could she have influenced Sam's decision that day, when by all rights Mia couldn't have existed yet? Sam shut her eyes again, fighting against the muddle in her head to come up with some explanation for what she was seeing.

Teal'c eyed her curiously, but she didn't notice. What was going on here? She darted a quick glance over at her husband and their young daughter, who still played together in the yard, oblivious to the newcomer. Then she looked back to the other Mia, animatedly discussing something with Daniel. Daniel was as unfazed by her appearance as Teal'c, she noted with consternation. None of this was adding up.

She again tried to focus her thoughts, to remember what it was that nagged at her now. Another flash of memory, this time Mia's adult voice ringing through her mind. _"He's so afraid of losing you, he's not seeing how much closer you could be outside of this life."_ Outside the SGC. Here. Sam glanced around again, trying to piece together her fractured memories with what she was seeing before her. That day in Jack's office...it had been due to these words, to Mia's words. But how was that possible?

Again, her memory flashed to Jack's office. Only this time, they were arguing. "_She's an anomalous blip from an erased timeline_." Her own voice, exasperated. Her mind shifted sluggishly, trying to remember. What could it all mean?

It looked as if Daniel was explaining something to the older Mia now, Sam noted, seeing his discreet nod towards her position. They were talking about her, she realized. Feeling suddenly woozy, she could sense her balance waver, ready to give out and topple her to the ground at any moment. Flinging a protective hand into position over her belly, Sam's head reeled sickeningly as she struggled to stay on her feet. Then she realized with a heart-wrenching start that the baby bulge was gone. Blinking in disbelief, her flat stomach disappeared again beneath the pregnant mound, and Teal'c's strong arm came around her waist to steady her as she numbly sank back down to the step. What the heck was going on here?

Shutting her eyes against the waves of dizziness and nausea threatening to overwhelm her, Sam saw herself in the briefing room, surrounded by the other members of SG-1, plus Jack. They were watching a video. There had been another SG-1, another timeline.

Sam's heart sank as the reality around her began to crack. Mia wasn't hers. Not really. Her stomach knotted painfully as a single chocked sob escaped her throat. Glancing once again to the yard, she wasn't entirely surprised to see that her Jack and Mia, her husband and child, were now gone, vanished into thin air. Placing a hand protectively over her belly, she couldn't stop the next sob that came when she found nothing but smooth, military muscle beneath her light touch.

The planet. Her head reeled sickeningly. Just after the conversation in Jack's office, when she had asked him to dinner, SG-1 had travelled off-world. Sam fought against her own growing weakness, her trembling limbs and twisting, roiling gut. She couldn't remember returning home. Suppressing the next sob that threatened to rip her in two, Sam lurched unsteadily to her feet, reaching down for her side-arm and drawing the gun smoothly from its place on her leg. Levelling it at the two approaching imposters, she demanded "Who the hell are you, and what do you want?"

* * *

Daniel pulled back instinctively as Sam's appearance shifted from maternal to military in the blink of an eye, her side-arm now aimed directly at his head.

"Whoa, Sam, it's me," he said, raising his hands defensively.

"Prove it," she growled, her features contorted with a myriad of emotions.

"Uh, okay," he said, desperately trying to think. "I met you on Abydos eight years ago, when you came through as part of the team sent to bring me back to Earth. We've worked together on the Stargate program ever since, except for two years ago, when I spent the year as an ascended being." The gun never wavered.

"Okay," he said again, collecting his thoughts. "We were on a mission, to P7X-294. Something went wrong, and we've been trapped here ever since." A flicker of recognition passed through Sam's eyes.

"Teal'c and I each experienced a constructed reality just like this one, but we managed to break free once we began to question what we were seeing, and went in search of the each other instead."

"What about her?," demanded Sam, training the firearm on Mia. Mia paled visibly, but held her ground.

"I came as part of the rescue team," she replied, searching Sam's face for some recognition of the truth. Sam held her gaze, waiting. "I've negotiated for your release, but we need to act quickly," Mia added, never flinching.

"Who's holding us?," Sam demanded.

"The planet is sentient," replied Mia simply, not wanting to get into the complicated explanation of the Furlings' role in that sentience. "You damaged it, and it's extracting your energy to heal itself."

"That would explain our loss of strength," noted Teal'c, startling Sam, who had forgotten all about him.

"Why the deception?," she asked, the pain of what she had just lost evident in her eyes.

"I'm starting to doubt it actually was a deception," replied Daniel thoughtfully. "From what Mia has been telling me, I think our experiences here have all been more like a dream."

"If this is my dream, then how are you here?," Sam demanded.

Daniel looked to Mia for help. "Somehow, Daniel and Teal'c must have used their connection with the planet as a sort of bridge, allowing their conscious minds to leave their own bodies in search of the rest of SG-1," supplied Mia.

"We've actually left our own bodies?," asked Daniel, more than a little surprised. She hadn't mentioned that part during their brief discussion.

Mia nodded. "When we arrived on the planet, Dr. Lam's instruments were picking up four distinct brainwave patterns, all within Colonel Carter," she said. "Teal'c and Daniel are both essentially brain-dead right now," she added.

Sam's arms shook with a sudden fatigue, too weak to hold the gun any longer. Daniel gently reached for the weapon as Teal'c offered his arm for support against the trembling once again threatening to overwhelm her. Everyone watched, concerned.

"The planet says you're all growing too weak to survive much longer," Mia said at last. "Daniel and Teal'c need to reverse whatever they did to get here and return to their own bodies, now. Once they're where they belong again, you'll all be released." Sensing their reluctance to act without more of an explanation, Mia said, "I promise I'll explain everything when we get back to the SGC. Just please, do what you have to do, before it's too late."

Sam nodded weakly, accepting what explanation they had. "Do it," she ordered, sinking slowly to the ground. Daniel and Teal'c took one last look at her before heading into the silence of the house, preparing to return the way they had come. Satisfied, Mia turned her attention inward, giving the alien presence the signal to pull her back to her own mind, still trapped aboard the small ship.

* * *

A/N: Sorry it's been so long since my last post; it's taking more than I realized to wrap things up with this story. More to come as I write it...


	39. Chapter 39

Jack stayed by Mia's side as the rest of his team raced from the ship, heading for Dr. Lam's equipment outside. He sat transfixed as her skin paled, then greyed. She grew cold to the touch, but still he sat, watching, waiting. None of the others came back, but Jack didn't move. Couldn't move. History was repeating itself. His child, his fault.

When Charlie had died, it had been quick, a serpent's strike in the dark. At the time, he had thought the abruptness of his son's death was some cruel trick of fate, a double-edged blade wrenching its way through his heart as he was forced not only to watch his son's life seep away in a wash of blood, but to do so while powerless to do anything to help, or even to say the things he should have said before Charlie was gone. It had happened so fast, he had never really had the chance to say goodbye.

Now, watching Mia's life wink slowly from existence, he wondered if this was in fact the crueller fate, to be given another child, a second chance, only to lose her again mere days later, minute by agonizing minute, without ever having really known her at all. Still powerless to stop it, still unable to say the things he wanted to say. Jack leaned heavily against the ship's wall, his gaze never leaving the girl's still form. He felt he owed her that much, at least, to bear witness to her final hours as time marched endlessly forward, leaving the brief flame of her life far behind.

* * *

"We're losing them!," called Dr. Lam desperately, as one brain pattern after another disappeared from the readings displayed across the monitor hooked up to Colonel Carter.

"Dr. Jackson is back over here!," exclaimed Dr. Lee excitedly in response, pointing to the monitor hooked up to the archaeologist's prone form.

"And Teal'c is over here!," confirmed Jonas, having raced over to the third monitor connected to the large Jaffa warrior.

"What?!," said Dr. Lam, trying to wrap her head around what they were seeing.

Dr. Lee picked up an instrument of his own, recalibrating it quickly. "The energy output in this area is fluctuating rapidly, too," he noted.

"What does that mean?," asked Jonas.

"I have no idea," replied Dr. Lee, as the ground beneath their feet began to writhe and break apart as tendrils and roots slowly withdrew themselves from SG-1.

"This planet could be very, very interesting to study, under different circumstances," noted Jonas, dancing away from a clump of retreating plants heading his way.

"All right, as soon as they're free, I want you two to help carry them back to the ship," ordered Dr. Lam. "The sooner we can get them back to the SGC, the better."

"Yes, ma'am," replied Jonas, watching in fascination as his friends were released from their vegetative prisons. Even by SG-1's standards, this was different.

In the meantime, Dr. Lam busied herself with checking vitals for the team, moving swiftly from one person to the next and back again as more and more of the vegetation cleared out of her way.

Finally, as the last of the vivid green shoots disappeared back into the soil, Dr. Lam gave the signal to start moving SG-1 to the ship. Obediently, Jonas and Dr. Lee moved towards the team, choosing Colonel Carter to start. Hoisting her inert form between them, they made their way slowly back to the ship, careful not to jostle their unconscious charge.

* * *

Mia was back in the cavern with only the barest hint of the alien presence for company. She could feel herself growing weaker with every passing moment, sinking down to the cool, smooth ground to lay immobile beneath the domed ceiling. She was afraid, afraid of losing too much of this life-force the planet seemed to need, afraid of never making it back to the life Daniel had worked so hard to prepare her for, yet Mia couldn't help but feel compelled to hold to her end of the deal. She'd give them the rest of what they needed in exchange for the lives of SG-1. It was an uncomfortable process, especially given that she was fully aware of what was going on. No dream-state for her, apparently.

"_Your friends have been returned to the others of your kind_," the presence whispered, a gently rustling in her foggy mind.

"Thank you," she replied faintly.

She was too weak to move now, even if she had wanted to, and her vision blurred as exhaustion threatened to overtake her. Fighting to stay conscious, she forced herself to focus her glassy eyes on the domed ceiling, counting the ridges around the apex. Her mind felt oddly sluggish, refusing to pay attention to the task at hand.

"_We are whole once more_," proclaimed the presence after some time, drawing Mia's wandering attention back from the cavern walls.

"I'm glad," she replied sincerely, trying to recall why it was so important for her to stay awake.

"_You and your kind are free to leave us_," added the presence, gently beginning to withdraw from her conscious mind.

"Thank you," said Mia again, vaguely wondering how much longer she could hold on to consciousness before simply slipping into the inviting darkness of sleep.

"_And you as well_," whispered the presence, retreating entirely from the scope of Mia's awareness.

Mia could feel herself falling, being drawn away from the cavern and the last known voice of the Furlings. She fell faster and faster, her speed knowing no bounds, until at last she was dizzy and sick from the descent, willing it to end soon, to let her rest. She was so unbearably weary. If only she could just close her eyes and sleep...

* * *

Jack watched in frozen amazement as the impossible took place right before his eyes, the tendrils holding Mia disentangling themselves from her young body, disappearing back through the hull of the ship, the way they had come. His heart skipped a beat as he pushed himself back up onto his knees by her side, watching, hoping, as she was at last set free. Reaching a tentative hand toward her ashen face, his heart stopped altogether as those beautiful blue eyes fluttered open, locking briefly on his face. She smiled at him, a warm, radiant smile that eased some of his tension, some of his self-recriminating guilt, and mumbled something incoherent about remembering.

As unconsciousness overtook her once more, Jack reached out to her, lifting his daughter carefully off the mangled section of floor to cradle her gently in his arms, feeling her pulse, her breath, the reassuring signs of continued life. Suppressing a sob of relief, he held her tight, silently thanking whatever force had kept her alive, grateful that today, at least, history wouldn't be repeating itself after all.


	40. Chapter 40

The commotion of Colonel Carter being eased awkwardly into the tight confines of the small ship roused O'Neill from his train of thought. Raising his head, he watched in semi-horror as Dr. Bill Lee and Jonas Quinn gracelessly manoeuvred the leader of his flagship team through the open hatch, draping her listless form over one of the benches near the rear of the ship. Sam's arm flopped off the narrow perch, showing a series of ugly purple bruises around each of the puncture wounds caused by the planet's local flora. Jack winced, remembering the full stakes of this mission. Easing himself up off the floor, Mia's slight form still cradled tenderly in his arms, he gingerly set his charge on the bench across from Sam, wordlessly following the other two men back outside to fetch the rest of SG-1.

Daniel came next, slung between Jack and Jonas while Dr. Lee helped Dr. Lam pack up the rest of the equipment. The archaeologist, as with the other three, had a disturbingly corpse-like pallor about him, his generally boyish appearance marred with the same bloodied and bruised puncture wounds as the others. Jack had seen a lot in his years of service, a great deal of which hadn't been pretty. But seeing his friends like this took the cake. He cringed with each jostling step they took, afraid it would signal the end for lifeless young man they carried between them. At last settling the scholar on the floor of the ship, just behind the pilot's seat, Jack was relieved to see that his friend's chest still gently rose and fell with breath.

It took all three of the men working together to haul Teal'c's unconscious form back to the ship, struggling to ease him in beside Daniel before heading back out to load all the equipment. Dr. Lam, finished with the packing, returned to the ship to monitor her patients while the others cleared SG-1's camp and crowded into the now cramped quarters of the Ancient vessel.

Sealing the hatch to the tightly packed ship, Jack willed the engines to life, gingerly easing the overloaded vessel into the air. Turning back towards the Stargate, he pushed the engines to their limit, knowing all too well that each passing moment could mean the difference between life or death for one or all of his people.

* * *

"What the hell happened out there?," demanded General Hammond, watching the SGC medical personnel unload not three, but four broken and lifeless bodies from the small ship.

"Apparently the planet had its own negotiation tactics," O'Neill replied bitterly, belatedly adding, "Sir."

"Is everyone alright?," he asked, genuinely concerned.

"They're alive, Sir," replied O'Neill, unsure what more could be said for them at that moment in time. Nodding, General Hammond lead Jack through the crowded embarkation room, up towards the briefing room and his office. Finding some measure of privacy in the small, cluttered space of Jack's office, Hammond closed the door, asking again, this time more gently, "What happened out there, Jack?"

Debriefing his three-star colleague, General O'Neill sank heavily into one of the padded chairs in front of his desk, his emotional weariness suddenly becoming something more physical. Watching in concern, Hammond quietly listened as Jack spoke, interrupting as little as possible, until he knew as much about the state of the mission as the Brigadier General. Resigning himself to not having any of the answers they needed until SG-1 and young Mia O'Neill came round, he at last dismissed Jack, saying, "You go see to your people. I'll keep an eye on things up here."

"Thank you, Sir," said Jack, both relieved and grateful to be given the opportunity to check in on his friends. He'd rather be with them, not knowing what would happen next, then up here pushing papers and still not knowing.


	41. Chapter 41

The infirmary was one of Jack O'Neill's least favourite places in the world. On any world, for that matter. He had spent countless hours cooped up in one infirmary or another over the course of his long military career, but this one, this one was by and far his least favourite of them all. How many friends had he lost, or almost lost, over the years? All in this room. And now, to make matters worse, good old Doc Frasier was among those he had lost, leaving a gaping void in the sterile environment where once there had been at least one sympathetic face. This room was a dark reminder of all the times Jack had sat helpless to save someone he cared for, and this time was no exception. Two days after returning from P7X-294 with SG-1, his former teammates and Mia still hadn't shown any sign of waking.

Jack had spent the past two days dividing his time between sitting vigilance over the precious group, and working out pent-up frustration in the gym. Despite Dr. Lam's repeated assurances that their vitals were growing stronger all the time, he couldn't shake the feeling that this time had been much, much too close for comfort. If only they'd just wake up!

* * *

It was about three in the morning on the third day back when Jack was woken from a restless sleep in his usual seat, propped up in an uncomfortable chair against the wall, right across from where his friends all lay. He glanced around the dimly lit room, expecting to see a nurse checking vitals, but there was no one else there. Repositioning himself into a slightly more bearable position, he was just about ready to drift back to sleep when something tickled the edge of his awareness, forcing his tired eyes open again.

"Torturing yourself isn't going to bring them back any faster," said Daniel, motioning towards the beds. Jack shot up from the chair, staring in disbelief. Looking from the still and silent form occupying Daniel's bed, back to the radiantly healthy man before him, Jack felt a familiarly sickening wrench in his gut. Opening his mouth to speak, Daniel countered first, saying, "He's fine, Jack."

"But you...he...," Jack stuttered, confused, looking from one to the other and back again.

"I died over five thousand years ago, Jack," said the glowing Daniel, the ascended Daniel.

"You're Mia's Daniel," Jack replied, the pieces coming together in his mind.

"Yes," he replied with a smile.

"I thought you said Oma wouldn't help you ascend again," he said, almost accusingly.

"She didn't," Daniel replied. "Apparently sacrificing myself for the good of the timeline was enough. Plus, you know, third try's the charm, and all that."

"Ah," said Jack, not entirely understanding. Daniel smiled fondly at the other man's look of confusion. "So what brings you to our neck of the woods?," Jack asked, trying to keep his tone light.

"You, actually," replied Daniel.

"Am I that far gone?," Jack asked in return. Daniel smiled again.

"You look like you could use a friend," he replied calmly.

"I'm not really sure I deserve my friends, at the moment," Jack retorted, his tone derisive.

"None of this was your fault," said Daniel.

"I gave the go on the mission. I dragged Mia into it."

"You can't blame yourself for everything that happens," Daniel replied. "Believe it or not, Jack, there are some things in this universe that are completely beyond your control." Jack glared at him.

"Is it so wrong to want to keep them safe?," he asked quietly.

"No. But it is wrong to torture yourself when you can't." The two men fell silent a moment as Jack's gaze once again drifted to the sleeping forms across the room. Finally Daniel broke the silence, saying, "You know, that's where Mia's father went wrong." Jack cringed at the words, but Daniel continued. "He held on to tightly, and in the end, it destroyed him. She deserves better than that, Jack. Go take care of yourself. They'll all still be here when you get back."

"What about you?"

"I've never left any of you alone when you needed someone," he replied, smiling again.

"Pulling guardian angel duty?," Jack quipped.

"Something like that."

Silence again. Fidgeting awkwardly, Jack said at last, "You did a good job with her, you know," motioning towards the young woman laying so eerily still in her bed.

"Thank, you, Jack. That means a lot," he replied sincerely, gazing fondly at the girl in question.

"Is there anything you want me to tell her, when she wakes up?," Jack asked uncomfortably, feeling as if he really should make the offer. This was the man who had raised her, after all. Her father, as it were. Daniel shook his head, that peaceful smile spreading slowly across his face again.

"Just take care of her," he said at last, turning back to Jack. "Now get out of here. Eat. Sleep. I'll stay with them until you get back," he finished, ushering Jack to the door. "And remember what I said. Stop torturing yourself. You're a good man, Jack. One of the best I've ever known. Get that through your head, and you'll do just fine." Giving Jack one final little shove out the door, Daniel watched him disappear down the hall, hopefully toward the mess and a much-needed meal followed by a good night's sleep.

Turning his attention back to the row of beds lining the far infirmary wall, Daniel gently touched each of his friends in turn, carefully pouring just a little of his own energy into each one of them, lingering the longest on the daughter of his heart. Softly caressing her ashen cheek, he whispered, "Be happy, Mia. You'll always have someone watching over you." The hint of a smile touched her delicate lips, and she sighed contentedly as she settled into a more natural sleep. Slowly pulling away, Daniel eased himself back into the deep shadows of the dimly lit room, watching his careful ministrations take effect as one by one, his friends regained some semblance of life where they lay.

* * *

A/N: Almost there... Just a few more days, with any luck, and we'll have this all wrapped up! As always, feedback is welcome. And thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone still reading this!


	42. Chapter 42

Jack slept nearly fifteen hours once he finally made it back to his quarters, waking feeling more rested and relaxed than he could remember being in a long time. Deciding a certain ascended being may have had a hand in this, he wasn't quite sure if he wanted to thank Daniel or throttle him. He really didn't appreciate having his head messed with, after all, although he could hardly complain about the side-effects.

Climbing out of bed and stretching, Jack dressed quickly in his rumpled BDUs, then headed first for the showers, and next to the mess for a quick meal. Might as well follow through on Danny-boy's prescription before settling himself back in at the infirmary for another long session of nothingness.

Returning to the infirmary some time later, however, Jack was surprised to find a lot more than nothing going on. They were awake.

"You know, you used to sit by our bedsides night and day whenever something like this would happen before you became a General," said Daniel by way of greeting. Jack ground his teeth together.

"Nice to see you're up," he replied, a touch more sarcastically than he may otherwise have meant. "How are you all feeling?," he asked them all, this time more sincerely as he rocked back on his heels, burying his hands deep into the pockets of his unbuttoned blue BDU shirt.

"Our strength is returning, O'Neill" answered Teal'c, as he took another large mouthful of food from the tray balanced over his bed.

"Glad to hear it," Jack replied. Silence. "So...,"he trailed uncertainly, feeling suddenly isolated from these people, his closest friends.

"Are you here to debrief us, Sir?," asked Sam, trying to find a reason for his awkward visit.

"Wasn't planning on it, Carter," he replied honestly. "Last time I checked, you were all still soundly unconscious."

"So...you came to watch us sleep?," asked Daniel. Jack's teeth snapped together again.

"Ok, seriously, who died and made you smart-ass of the month?," Jack snapped.

"I believe it was your promotion to General which precipitated the change, O'Neill," replied Teal'c seriously. Daniel glared at him, while Sam smirked ever so slightly from her bed.

"So this is somehow my fault?," he asked sceptically, waving a hand at Daniel.

"Are you agitating my patients, General?," demanded Dr. Lam as she walked towards the group, levelling Jack with a stern stare.

"No, I...," he trailed as she eyed him suspiciously. "I just came to see...," he tried again. "I'll come back later," he said with a resigned sigh, heading for the door. Glancing back, he could see his friends returning to their meals, eyeing him questioningly, while Dr. Lam still stood watching him with an almost-glare in her eyes. He walked more quickly from the room, vowing to return later once Daniel had snagged some coffee and there weren't so many pesky medics around to interrupt.

* * *

It was just after midnight when General Jack O'Neill snuck back into the infirmary, checking first to make sure the coast was clear. Satisfied that the on-duty nurse was safely ensconced in her office filling out paperwork, Jack quietly snuck into the room, gently waking each of his friends in turn.

"Hey, get up," he whispered conspiratorially. He was met with a series of grumbles, groans, and at least one tossed pillow from Daniel. He was going to have to have a little chat with that boy, he told himself.

"What's this all about, Sir," mumbled Carter groggily.

"We need to talk," whispered Jack. Then, "Are any of you strong enough to move?"

Rearranging Dr. Lam's patients, Jack finally settled them all together on two beds, which he had pushed more closely together for ease of communication.

"What's this all about, Jack?," asked Daniel from his perch, repeating Sam's earlier question.

Jack sat down on the foot of the bed now shared by Sam and Mia, facing Daniel and Teal'c on the other. He fiddled with his hands for a moment before saying, "Ah, a lot's happened since you guys left a few days ago."

"Like what?," asked Sam, concerned.

"Well, for starters, General Hammond is retiring," he said. Daniel moaned.

"Jack, I know you have a hard time adjusting to change, but did you seriously just wake us all up for that? I mean, I for one think he's earned it, don't you?"

"Yes, Daniel, I do," replied Jack tersely.

"You're being promoted," inferred Sam numbly, turning a startling shade of white. Mia and Daniel both looked at her, surprised.

"Jack?," Daniel asked, looking for confirmation to his teammate's worst fears.

"Yeah," he answered bleakly, nodding. "Nothing's official yet, but Hammond felt compelled to warn me that I'm at the top of the list."

"But you can still refuse," said Daniel, concerned for his friends. He could only imagine how this would affect Sam...

"It's not that simple, Danny-boy," Jack replied.

"Why not?," Daniel asked.

"Bauer is second on the list." Daniel's jaw dropped, then snapped shut again quickly. Sam looked stricken, closing her eyes against the inevitable.

"Who's Bauer?," asked Mia, confused.

"Nobody you'd ever want to meet," replied Jack evenly.

"He's another General," Sam explained quietly. "He ran the SGC briefly four years ago. None of the changes he made were good," she said, shaking her head.

"Indeed," agreed Teal'c.

"So what happens now?," Mia asked.

"That's what I'm here to find out," Jack replied, gazing around at the assembled group.

"I'm not sure I really belong..." Mia began, but Jack cut her off.

"You're part of this family," he said, without needing to look for confirmation from the others. "What we decide here will affect you too."

"There doesn't seem to be much to decide, Sir," replied Sam softly, her face pale and drawn with resignation.

"I wouldn't say that, Carter," he replied gently, meeting her gaze. _I don't want to do it. I really don't,_ he thought, desperate for her to understand.

"Uh, I hate to play devil's advocate here, but you wouldn't seriously hand over all Stargate related programs and research to Bauer, would you?," asked Daniel cautiously, snapping Jack's attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Whether I do it now, or later, it's bound to happen eventually," replied Jack, frustrated. "Even if I take the job now, I'm not going to live forever. Hell, I could be reassigned a year from now and we'd still end up with Bauer," he spat. "At some point, someone else is going to step in, Daniel. We can't keep it all in the family forever. And if it isn't Bauer now, it could just as easily be someone worse later on."

"So you're willing to give this all up?," asked Daniel.

_For Sam, yes,_ Jack thought miserably, knowing what his duty would require of him. "You know, just yesterday I was accused of holding on too tight," Jack snapped instead, thinking of the other Daniel. "Maybe it's time that I do." _I wish I could..._

"I agree with Daniel Jackson, O'Neill," intoned Teal'c. "The Tauri will find no greater leader than yourself in the continued struggle to maintain freedom in this galaxy."

"I agree with Daniel and Teal'c, Sir," said Sam quietly, her gorgeous blue eyes moist with suppressed emotion. "Until we have a better idea of what we'll be up against next, your experience here at the SGC is an asset the Pentagon can't do without." _Is that you speaking, or good ole' Uncle Sam..._

"What about you?," he asked, turning quickly to Mia.

"Daniel said to trust you," she replied. "Your team thinks you need to do this. What do you think?"

Jack exhaled slowly, keeping his gaze locked on the teenaged girl. "I don't think I have much choice in the matter," he replied slowly, resignedly. _Especially if my team agrees..._

"Then that's what you're going to do," she responded, a note of sadness in her own voice. She understood. Somehow or other, Mia understood.

"All right, then," Jack said softly. "Now, what about the rest of you?"

"What do you mean?," asked Daniel.

"Carter," he said, facing Sam once more. _Don't hate me forever. We'll find a way. _ "Do you still want the transfer, or should I kibosh it while I have the chance?," he asked gently.

Sam thought quietly a moment, staring absently at her hands. Finally she said, "I'll still take the transfer, Sir. I think I could use the break from active duty," she added, thinking of her recent ordeal, and the painful reminders the SGC would present of her life without Jack.

Jack nodded, painfully aware of what she hadn't just said, though somewhat relieved to find they could still communicate on this level. "Okay," he said softly, grudgingly turning away from her. "Daniel, what about you? Do you still have your heart set on Atlantis, or would you rather stay here as the thorn in a new Colonel's side?," he asked.

"You're seriously going to sign off on me going to Atlantis?," he asked, surprised.

"Like I said, I've recently been told I've been holding on too tight. If it's really what you want, I'll do my best to make sure you get it," Jack replied evenly. _Just don't go and get yourself killed._

"Thank you, Jack," Daniel responded sincerely.

"Teal'c, what about you?"

"I have been invited to join the new Jaffa nation on Dakara," he replied. Jack nodded again, his heart heavy in his chest.

"I'll start the paperwork tomorrow," he promised, Teal'c bowing his head slightly in response. _God, will they all be gone?,_ he though desolately.

"And you?," Jack whispered, facing Mia now.

"I – I don't know," she stammered.

"You're welcome to stay at my place," responded Daniel quickly. "I can have it arranged that the rent is paid for you even while I'm gone." Jack's heart clenched, knowing she would probably be most comfortable there...

"You may also chose to join me, Mia O'Neill, and join with the Hak'til," Teal'c said. At Mia's blank look he added, "They are a group of free female Jaffa warriors, led by one I admire greatly. You would be able to continue your training." Mia smiled warmly at her mentor in reply. Jack did his best to keep his breathing even. _Not you too..._

"Nevada is warm all year round," said Sam quietly, meeting the girl's misty eyes. "You're welcome at my place anytime you want."

Jack cleared his throat, unsure how or even if he could compete with Mia's other offers. If he even should. At last he said, "I'll always have a room for you, too," his voice gruff with emotion. Mia looked genuinely startled by the revelation.

"What happened to professional detachment?," she asked carefully, ignoring the confused stares of the others.

"Doesn't apply to fathers and daughters," he choked, realizing she was once again making him eat his own words. Tears spilled down her pale cheeks as she launched herself at him, wrapping her slender arms tightly around his neck in the biggest hug he could remember receiving in a long, long time. Gingerly returning the embrace, Jack couldn't help but notice from the corner of his eye that Daniel was beaming at them. Even Teal'c was smiling as Mia pulled away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and laughing shakily.

"Careful," warned Sam, wiping her own eyes. "General O'Neill has a rule against giggling." Jack shifted uncomfortably, mumbling something about broken ribs and Antarctica.

"So this is it?," asked Daniel. "The end of SG-1?" The question hung sombrely in the air for a breathless moment while everyone regrouped. At last Teal'c broke the silence, saying, "Did O'Neill not earlier describe us as a family?."

"The only family I've ever really known," replied Daniel thoughtfully.

"The only family I've ever really understood," added Sam with a wry smile.

"The only family I've ever wanted," chimed Mia.

Jack swallowed hard. "A damn fine second chance," he said at last, daring a quick glance over to Sam and Mia.

"Indeed," agreed Teal'c, silently observing his brother-at-arms. "I do not believe this is the end, Daniel Jackson."

"Me neither," he said with a grin, looking gratefully around at all his friends. Even Jack had to smile at that.

* * *

Dr. Lam had been warned that a career at the SGC would mean a life full of constant surprise and occasional peril. She had been prepared for the mission to save SG-1. She was prepared for many others to come. But nothing could have prepared her for the sight that met her the morning after SG-1 had first regained consciousness.

Walking into the infirmary, she could only stare in dumbfounded amazement at the two beds pushed together, five grown adults slumped over every square inch of the makeshift surface, all sound asleep. General Hammond rose stiffly from the seat he had taken an hour earlier, following a confused call from the surveillance room, startling Dr. Lam out of her bewilderment.

"You'd better get used to it, doctor," he advised. "In this line of work, our people form some pretty unique bonds. I doubt this is the last you'll be seeing of that," he added, smiling slightly as he left the room.

Taking one last look at her four convalescing patients and their commanding officer, she turned quickly toward her office, deciding the prudent course of action would be simply to turn a blind eye and act as if nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened under her watch.


	43. Epilogue

They had chosen the General's Minnesota cabin for the occasion, filling it well beyond capacity. Snow fell softly outside, big white flakes blanketing the world in shimmering peace. Inside, a fire roared in the tiny fireplace, as Jack O'Neill ducked from room to room trying to open every window in the place. Between the fireplace, the oven, and the sheer number of people crammed together in the small space, the place was hotter than Sokar's planet on a really bad day.

"Maybe we should prop the doors open too," whispered Sam, catching him off guard, her breath tickling his left ear. "Could do that," he murmured, turning his face towards hers so there was only a hair's-breadth of space left between them. Sam smiled, her blue eyes dancing in the firelight as Jack leaned forward, closing the remaining distance between them as his lips tenderly grazed her own, their soft, supple pressure an open invitation for more...

"Would you two break it up already," called Daniel, followed by a general chorus of good-humoured laughter. "We're starving in here!," he added. Turning to the room full of their friends, Jack retorted, "If I can wait fifteen years for this, you can wait five more minutes for food, Danny-Boy." Then, cupping his suddenly blushing bride's beautiful face, he leaned in again, kissing her as slowly and tenderly as if they weren't in a small cabin overflowing with people, as if they hadn't spent most of their working relationship pretending nothing existed between them...as if they still had all the time in the world, and their decade and a half long wait was nothing more than a painful instant, over now and no longer requiring any further attention. They had each other, they had this moment, and that was all either one of them really needed anymore.

The crowd cheered loudly at the happy couple so absorbed in their embrace, a few still cajoling them to come back to the table so they could all eat. Thanksgiving dinner had become something of a tradition for the motley crew of Stargate Command, a time when they would all get together and reminisce, laughing more often than anything as the wine flowed freely and massive amounts of food were consumed. And every year the group seemed to expand, bringing new additions into the fold of this warm assortment of family and friends.

This year was no exception. Celebrating Sam and Jack's wedding on the day of their annual feast, the cabin was filled with everyone they cared for most, from Daniel and Teal'c, to Mia and Cassie, to all the newer additions: Cassie's fiancee, Mike, Mia's husband James and their daughter, Hope, Ishta of the Hak'til, Rya'c and Kar'yn with their two sons, Bra'tac, and Vala Mal Doran with Daniel's pride and joy, a dark-haired little girl with her daddy's knack for winning hearts, and her mother's knack for picking pockets...

"So when are the babies coming, Samantha?," called Vala cheerfully as Jack led his wife back into the crowded dinning area. Sam flushed an intense shade of red, looking down at her feet. Jack was about to respond with a smart-assed comment of his own when he did a quick double-take at Sam. She was grinning at him, nodding ever so slightly. Before Jack had the chance to react, the room erupted in loud cheers, excited babble, and laughter. Never mind that they had a grand-daughter older than their soon-to-be child, or that he was really too old to be doing this again. Jack broke out into a wide grin, pulling his wife close for another spine-tingling kiss. _Definitely worth the wait_, he thought to himself, tightening his hold.

* * *

So, I think that's it for now... If I've left anything hanging, let me know. As always, feedback is welcome. Thank you again to everyone who actually read this...it's been a long time coming, and I'm glad the story has found a home.

P.S. I'm dedicating this one to a dear friend of mine. Thank you for introducing me to the art of fan fiction!


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